NOAA National Geodetic Survey
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| NOAA National Geodetic Survey | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Geodetic Survey |
| Parent | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
| Formed | 1807 |
| Jurisdiction | United States |
| Headquarters | Silver Spring, Maryland |
| Chief1 name | Manson Brown |
| Chief1 position | Director |
NOAA National Geodetic Survey is the federal agency responsible for defining and maintaining the national coordinate system that underpins mapping, charting, and navigation for the United States. It operates within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration framework and provides the geospatial reference systems used by agencies such as the United States Geological Survey, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the United States Coast Guard. The Survey's work supports activities ranging from coastal resilience planning in response to Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy to infrastructure projects linked to the Interstate Highway System and the Smart City initiatives.
History
The agency traces its origins to the 1807 establishment of the Survey of the Coast under President Thomas Jefferson to chart the coastline after the War of 1812. Throughout the 19th century it collaborated with figures such as Alexander Dallas Bache and institutions like the United States Military Academy at West Point, producing early triangulation networks used by the United States Corps of Topographical Engineers. In the 20th century, it integrated with scientific efforts tied to the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey and later became part of NOAA during the 1970s reorganization influenced by policy shifts under President Richard Nixon. The history includes contributions to wartime mapping for World War II, geodetic control for the Interstate Commerce Commission era transportation projects, and modernization during the Global Positioning System deployment administered by the United States Department of Defense.
Mission and Functions
The agency's mission centers on providing a consistent national spatial reference system used by agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Department of Transportation. Functions include establishing passive control through geodetic monuments used by the National Geodetic Vertical Datum and active control through networks interoperable with Global Navigation Satellite System constellations like GPS (satellite)}], GLONASS, and Galileo (satellite navigation). It supplies surveyors, cartographers, and modelers with reference frames aligned to international standards set by organizations including the International Association of Geodesy and the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service.
Organizational Structure
The Survey is organized within NOAA under director-level leadership reporting to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere. Offices coordinate with federal entities such as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the National Park Service and liaise with state agencies including the California Department of Transportation and the New York State Department of Transportation. Field offices and laboratory units collaborate with academic partners like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Colorado Boulder, and Ohio State University on applied geodesy, and with professional societies such as the American Association of Geographers and the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Programs and Services
Key programs include the modernized national reference frames, the Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) network used by United States Geological Survey seismology and by precision agriculture firms, and tidal and sea level monitoring in cooperation with the National Weather Service and Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The agency provides tools such as transformation utilities used by the Federal Highway Administration during corridor design, geoid models referenced by National Aeronautics and Space Administration altimetry missions, and survey calibration services relied upon by firms like Esri and Trimble Inc.. Emergency response support is coordinated with Federal Emergency Management Agency mapping teams and United States Army Corps of Engineers floodplain analysts.
Geodetic Products and Data Management
Products include national horizontal and vertical datums, geoid models, CORS observations, and surveyed control point datasets used by entities such as the National Spatial Data Infrastructure and the Geographic Information Systems community. Data management practices align with standards from the Open Geospatial Consortium and metadata frameworks promoted by the National Information Exchange Model. The agency disseminates datasets used by state departments of transportation, municipal GIS offices in cities like New York City and Los Angeles, and researchers at institutions such as Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Research and Innovation
Research efforts address reference frame modernization, terrestrial and space geodesy, and applications for climate-related sea level change studies undertaken with partners including the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Innovation initiatives evaluate techniques from satellite gravimetry missions such as GRACE and GRACE-FO and integrate outcomes with numerical models used by National Aeronautics and Space Administration Earth science programs. The Survey collaborates with university consortia, technology companies like Google and Microsoft on imagery alignment, and standards bodies such as the International Organization for Standardization to advance reproducible geodetic science.
Partnerships and Outreach
The agency partners with federal agencies including the United States Geological Survey, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the National Ocean Service, as well as state surveying boards, tribal governments, and international bodies like the International Hydrographic Organization. Outreach includes training for professional surveyors through associations such as the National Society of Professional Surveyors, public workshops with municipal planning departments, and data-sharing initiatives with private sector firms in the navigation and mapping industries. Collaborative programs support resilience planning in coastal communities affected by storms like Hurricane Sandy and engage educational partners such as NOAA's Office of Education and university geodesy programs.