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Module 2

Coordinate Reference Systems

A Coordinate Reference System (CRS) is a coordinate-based system used to locate geographical entities. A CRS can be applied locally, regionally, or globally. A Cartesian grid (think graph paper) is a simple 2D coordinate reference system for referencing locations on the surface of a flat plane. A spherical coordinate system (think latitude/longitude) is a more complex 2D coordinate system for referencing locations on the surface of a sphere.

Learning Outcomes

This module is intended to give a broad overview of how we represent the 3D earth on 2D maps using coordinate reference systems. Some of the things you can expect from this module:

  • Steps of Abstraction: 3D Earth »> 2D Map
    • Geoids
    • Datums
      • Local vs. Global
    • Geographic Coordinate Systems
    • Projected Coordinate Systems
  • Types of Map Projectoins
  • Map Scale

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