The most recognized method to pinpoint a location. It uses:
- Latitude (lat): Specifies how far north or south a point is from the Equator.
- Longitude (lon): Details how far east or west a point is from the Prime Meridian.
Often employed in computer graphics and mathematics:
- 2D Cartesian:
- x: Represents the horizontal axis (often east-west direction).
- y: Represents the vertical axis (often north-south direction).
- 3D Cartesian: Adds an additional dimension to the 2D system.
- z: Represents height or depth relative to a reference plane.
Ideal for representing points on a sphere, which makes them useful for some geospatial tasks:
- Radius (r): Distance from the sphere's center.
- Azimuthal (θ): Angle from the reference direction, usually in the xy-plane.
- Polar (φ or θ): Angle from the positive z-axis.
These are a mix of Cartesian and spherical coordinates:
- Radius (r): Distance from the z-axis.
- Azimuthal (θ): Angle around the z-axis.
- z: Height or depth relative to a reference.
A global map projection system that divides the world into a series of 6-degree longitudinal zones:
- Easting: Measures how far east a point is from the central meridian of its zone.
- Northing: Measures how far a point is north of the equator.
Developed by the military for its precision and utility:
- Grid Zone: Denotes one of several 6-degree longitudinal and 8-degree latitudinal bands.
- 100k Grid Square: Further divides each zone into 100km x 100km squares.
- Grid Coordinate: Pinpoints a specific location within the aforementioned square.
| System | Component | Represents |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic | Latitude (lat) | Distance north or south of the Equator |
| Longitude (lon) | Distance east or west of the Prime Meridian | |
| ---------------------- | ------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| Cartesian 2D | x | Horizontal axis (often east-west) |
| y | Vertical axis (often north-south) | |
| ---------------------- | ------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| Cartesian 3D | x | Horizontal axis (often east-west) |
| y | Vertical axis (often north-south) | |
| z | Height or depth relative to a reference | |
| ---------------------- | ------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| Spherical | Radius (r) | Distance from the sphere's center |
| Azimuthal (θ) | Angle from the reference direction, usually | |
| in the xy-plane | ||
| Polar (φ or θ) | Angle from the positive z-axis | |
| ---------------------- | ------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| Cylindrical | Radius (r) | Distance from the z-axis |
| Azimuthal (θ) | Angle around the z-axis | |
| z | Height or depth relative to a reference | |
| ---------------------- | ------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| UTM (Universal | Easting | Distance east of the central meridian |
| Transverse Mercator) | Northing | Distance north of the equator |
| ---------------------- | ------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| MGRS (Military Grid | Grid Zone | 6-degree longitudinal bands and 8° latitude |
| Reference System) | 100k Grid Square | Each zone divided into 100km squares |
| Grid Coordinate | Specific location within the 100k square | |
| ---------------------- | ------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |