Global Reference Frames: What they Are and How/Why NGS Aligns to Them

October 8, 2020  |  2-3 pm, Eastern Daylight Time

Phillip McFarland, National Geodetic Survey

The U.S. National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) is aligned with the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF). This presentation discusses what that statement means, why it is done, and how it is achieved.

In this webinar we will cover:

• What global reference frames are and why they are useful, including a brief discussion of the difference between reference frames and reference systems. 
• Briefly the historical context of why the U.S. national frames are aligned with the ITRF. 
• What we mean when we say the NSRS is aligned with the ITRF, and how we achieve this alignment using the NOAA CORS Network (NCN). 
• Examples of what this looks like in practice, and how it affects NGS stakeholders.