Spectra Precision Survey Pro v4.6 Recon and Nomad User Manual - Manual (Page 243)

GPS Overview
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then run across the country and closed on the opposite coast. This
datum contained a number of systematic errors including un-modeled
local gravity effects and refraction errors. Also, it was later discovered
that the “mean sea level” from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans was
not the same.
• NAVD88
In an effort to address these errors, the North American Vertical
Datum of 1988 (NAVD88) was realized from a single datum point in
Rimouski, Quebec. This datum is based on actual gravity, which
provides a better representation of true orthometric elevations. The
primary consideration in the choice of this datum point was to
minimize the recompilation of national mapping products. A side
effect of this choice is that the NAVD88 datum and the theoretical
level surface used to define GRS80 do not agree. The offset between
the NAVD88 vertical datum and the ITRF global geopotential model
is in the neighborhood of 0.27m 6 .
Survey Pro does not require choosing a specific vertical datum. For
RTK applications, elevations are solved relative to the base using the
vertical localization adjustment. Therefore, the vertical datum is
established by the datum of the base elevation.
Coordinate Systems
A coordinate system is a way to describe positions in a datum.
Coordinate systems range from simple Cartesian (y,x) or (N,E)
positions on a flat plane to complex geodetic latitudes and longitudes
on a reference ellipsoid.
Below is a description of some coordinate systems common in
surveying:
• Northing, Easting, Elevation
Survey projects usually use simple plane coordinates. You assume
your local datum models a flat earth, and you calculate coordinates in
a Cartesian system where the simple laws of plane trigonometry
6 Milbert D.G. Converting GPS Height into NAVD88 Elevation with
the GEOID96 Geoid Height Model
http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/PUBS_LIB/gislis96.html p. 4