Geodetic Terminology Hub
Precise engineering requires precise language. Our glossary provides professional definitions for the core concepts of coordinate conversion and global positioning.
WGS84 (World Geodetic System 1984)
The global standard for GPS coordinates. It defines a mathematical model of the Earth (an ellipsoid) to describe any location with Latitude, Longitude, and Altitude.
Datum Shift
The physical discrepancy when converting between different geodetic datums (e.g., NAD83 to WGS84). Failing to account for this can cause meter-level errors.
EPSG Codes
Standardized numeric identifiers for coordinate reference systems. EPSG:4326 is standard WGS84 Lat/Long, while EPSG:3857 is Web Mercator used by Google Maps.