[NatureNS] Determining Elevation

Date: Thu, 08 Feb 2007 12:38:23 -0400
From: Peter Payzant <pce@accesswave.ca>
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Hi, Jamie-

Elevation measurements from GPS are significantly less accurate than 
lat-long measurements. This is due in part to the geometry of the situation, 
and in part due to the fact that the GPS system calculates your distance 
from the centre of a sphere, and then applies a model of the earth's surface 
to correct for the earth's radius at your location. There are other sources 
of error as well.

There's lots about this on the net of course. Until you understand the 
nature of the errors it's probably not a good idea to put too much faith in 
what the GPS receiver tells you for elevation.

If you wanted to get a good result, you could rent a surveyor's level and 
work your way up to your house from the nearest known accurate elevation.

Peter Payzant

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