Height Modernization –
the importance of
accurate elevations
Modern society is becoming increasingly dependent on
geographic data that is spatially referenced – horizontally and vertically.
•In FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program, risk is measured
by elevations, so accuracy is critical
•Denser control reduces
survey costs and improves accuracy of geospatially related data such as LIDAR, photogrammetry,
GIS, RTK, construction plans, and evacuation routes
•Benefits include more
accurate floodplain and insurance rate maps
•Monitoring and management of water resources (groundwater
vs. surface water) is improved in areas susceptible to
subsidence or erosion
•Accurate water levels referenced to accurate, standardized
land elevations enable safe and efficient maritime shipping and
navigation
•Integration of surface weather and water with road
elevations benefits commerce, tourism, and emergency preparedness
(planning) by providing near real-time monitoring and positioning information on weather
and road conditions (response)
Height Modernization provides the basis for Intelligent Transportation Systems
(highway, rail, air, water) for improved safety and efficiency.
Precision
Agriculture applies GPS technology and management strategies
to individual fields to protect the environment,
improve productivity,
and save time and money.
•Terrain modeling derived from GPS/Remote Sensing data
results in more accurate field boundaries and slope (contour) management for
land utilization
•Geographic information (GIS) integrating planting and yield
rates results in well-defined fertilizer and pesticide application saving
resources and reducing run-off
•GPS controlled precise steering of farm equipment available
today, with remotely operating machinery anticipated in the near future
Relative
(local) and absolute (national) height inconsistencies are eliminated through
the use of a common vertical datum -- NAVD88.
University of California, San Diego/Scripps • Wisconsin Department of
Transportation • Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District • California Spatial
Reference Center • North Carolina Geodetic Survey • South Carolina Geodetic
Survey • NOAA’s National Ocean Service
Federal Emergency Management Agency • Louisiana Spatial
Reference Center • NOAA’s National Weather Service • Spatial Reference Center
of Washington • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers • Washington Department of
Natural Resources • Alabama Department of Revenue Louisiana State
University • NOAA’s Coastal Services Center • U.S. Geological Survey • Alabama Department of
Transportation • North Carolina A & T State University • University of Southern
Mississippi • NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic Products & Services
NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey
Height Modernization Program
Juliana Blackwell, Program Manager
Email: ngs.htmod@noaa.gov
Visit:
www.ngs.noaa.gov/heightmod/
