Military Geodesy and Geospace Science Unit One

摘要

Unit One introduces the student to Mapping, Charting, and Geodesy. Basic concepts and principles are presented that will be applied during the remainder of the course. The subjects to be covered include: Earth modeling; Coordinate systems; and Techniques of mapping, charting, and geodesy. All of these areas are part of the science of geodesy, which is defined by the three principal subjects with which it is concerned: The size and shape of the earth; The relative location of points on or near the surface of the earth; and The earth's gravity field. The first two areas are referred to as geometric geodesy; the third is physical geodesy. The geometric and physical (or gravitational) aspects of geodesy are closely related to one another, since the physical surface of the earth does not deviate greatly from an equipotential surface of the gravity field. The material of Unit One is organized into three chapters, each examining geodesy from a different point of view: Geometric geodesy (Chapter Two) -- including material on relevant aspects of cartography and surveying; Physical geodesy (Chapter Three); and Satellite geodesy (Chapter Four) -- emphasizing the unique contributions to geodesy resulting from the use of earth satellites.