Height Modernization

Kentucky Height Modernization

Overview | Accomplishments | Regional Activities | Program Details | Contacts

Program Overview

Picture of FBN Station - photo by
Ross Mackay, NOAA.

The goal of the Kentucky Height Modernization Program (KY-HMP) is to bring accurate and reliable heights to any location in the Commonwealth at any time. The project includes the establishment of a Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) network and the validation and extension of the existing vertical control. This geodetic infrastructure will enable the development of an improved geoid model. The resulting geodetic control and geoid model provide the ability to derive accurate elevation measurements through Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) observations and remote sensing derived products, meeting the needs of a broad spectrum of users and applications.

Accomplishments

To bring accurate and reliable heights throughout Kentucky, a KY-HMP Master Plan was created outlining three major phases. Each phase is estimated to take 3 to 5 years, but it is dependent on available grant funding. Much of phase one has been accomplished with the establishment of a state-wide CORS network. Most of the 20 CORS stations are part of the National CORS network, and the stations support real-time network coverage over much of the state. To complete phase one, geodetic leveling to CORS sites and control marks in the Kentucky Geodetic Reference Network (KGRN) will continue to improve the geoid model and Kentucky’s vertical control network. In phase two, KY-HMP will develop an accurate Digital Elevation Model (DEM) from data collected by Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and calibrated to the geodetic control. Ultimately, KY-HMP will create products which make the geodetic control and DEM accessible to a broad range of users, by packaging it with state-wide digital orthophotography.

Regional Activities

The KY-HMP is steered by the Kentucky Geodetic Consortia, a collaborative project team comprised of representatives from Morehead State University (MSU), the Kentucky Division of Geographic Information (DGI), the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) and additional selected agencies or organizations who may contribute on an ongoing or interim basis depending on project needs. Kentucky also participates in the Southeast Region teleconferences and the Great Lakes Regional Height Modernization Consortium.

Program Details

NGS Height Modernization Grant recipient

Partner agency: Morehead State University , Morehead, KY
Co-Principal Investigators: Dr. Michael W. Hail and David Sloan, Morehead State University

Contact Information

Michael W. Hail, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Political Science
Morehead State University
Email

David Sloan
Morehead State University
Email

For additional inquiries, contact the State Geodetic Advisor Program or the National Height Modernization Program directly. State geodetic advisors serve as liaisons between NOAA and regional or state organizations.