Pacific Islands Height Modernization
Benefits
Banzai Cliff Monument in the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Saipan. Photo: David Burdick, NOAA.
Accurate height information on these islands will support community resilience efforts such as flood plain mapping, storm surge modeling and evacuation route planning. Height Modernization will also support coastal land use planning and management, ecosystem restoration efforts and monitoring sea level change.
Projects
Establishing Official Vertical DatumsChallenges and needs for geodetic control in the diverse Pacific Islands Region are exemplified by the fact that there are numerous local geodetic datums still in use. However, three official vertical datums do currently exist: American Samoa Vertical Datum of 2002 (ASVD02), Guam Vertical Datum of 2004 (GUVD04), Northern Marianas Vertical Datum of 2003 (NMVD03).
- View the Federal Register Notice affirming ASVD02
- View the Federal Register Notice affirming GUVD04
- View the Federal Register Notice affirming NMVD03
- Visit the NGS Vertical Datums Web page
Contact Information
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.
