CENG 528

Digital Cartography, Map Projections and Coordinate

Systems

Conversions between Geodetic

Coordinate Systems and Map
Projections
Geospatial Reference Systems
By now, we know in this course that in
geomatics several accepted reference
systems exist. The list includes:
Geodetic coordinates (f, l, h)
3-dimensional geocentric Cartesian (X, Y, Z)
Local vertical rectangular (Xl, Yl, Zl)
Map projections (Lambert, Mercator, etc.)
Global Geodetic, Global Cartesian
and Local Rectangular Coordinates
Location of Earth
point P can be
expressed in:
1- Geodetic System
2- Geocentric
Cartesian system
3- Local rectangular
system
4- From a map after
projecting earth’s surface
on a cylinder or a cone.

Source: Wolf & Dewitt, pp 571-572

 Transformation Sequence
The figure in the previous slide shows that at the top of
the coordinates pyramid are the local coordinates, which
are based on a developable surface (i.e., cone or cylinder)
Those local coordinates can be converted forward to
geodetic f , l and ellipsoidal height h (and back to local
coordinates)
The next conversion takes f and l and h to their
equivalent global geocentric Cartesian X, Y and Z (and
back to geodetic, if needed).
At the bottom of the of the figure is the conversion that
can take the global geocentric Cartesian X, Y and Z to a
local vertical coordinates Xl, Yl and Zl (and back to
geodetic, if needed).

Source: Wolf & Dewitt, pp 571-572

Transformation Sequence
Through the mathematics of coordinate transformation, it is
possible to convert from one coordinate system to another.
Notice that all arrows are double-headed. Meaning that
transformation can go both ways (forward and inverse).
Usually values of coordinates in the aforementioned systems
may have as many as 10 or11 significant figures. Calculators
having10 figures are not sufficient to perform these
transformation calculations. Even computer solutions need to
be programmed using double-precision variables or solved
with a spreadsheet having at least 12 to 16 significant figures.
Specialized commercial software use suitable level of
precision, but even those, their results should also be verified.
Cylindrical and Conic Map
Projections
MERCATOR LAMBERT

Transverse Mercator can

also be vertical or oblique
tangent and secant
Geodetic to Lambert
Coordinates Projections
Conversion of coordinates between the geodetic system of
latitude and longitude, and the Lambert conic map projection,
involves complex mathematics.
The process can be a forward conversion from geodetic f and
l to Lambert X and Y or an inverse procedure to convert from
Lambert X and Y to geodetic f and l.
A Lambert conformal conic coordinate zone has a number of
defining constants in addition to the required standard
ellipsoid parameters. These defining constants are: f1 and f2,
the latitudes of the standard parallels; f0 and l0, the latitude
and longitude of the grid origin; and E0 and N0, the false
easting and false northing.
Forward Conversion:
Geodetic fl to Lambert XY
The forward procedure starts by computing a number of
initial parameters, which will be constant for a given set of
zone constants and ellipsoid parameters. They are:

Source: Wolf & Dewitt, pp 579

Forward Conversion:
Geodetic fl to Lambert XY
After these initial parameters have been computed, beginning
with the latitude f and longitude l of a point, compute the
Lambert X and Y as follows:

Source: Wolf & Dewitt, pp 579

Inverse Conversion:
Lambert XY to Geodetic fl
Inverse procedure requires the
same additional parameters
that were given in slide 8.
Given these parameters, and
the XY Lambert coordinates,
the latitude and longitude f
and l can be computed as
follows:

See Example F-3, wolf and Dewitt,

Elements of Photogrammetry, 3rd
Edition, pp 580.
Source: Wolf & Dewitt, pp 579-580
Forward Conversion:
Geodetic fl to T-Mercator XY
A transverse Mercator coordinate zone has a number of
defining constants in addition to the required standard
ellipsoid parameters. These defining constants are k0, the scale
factor along the central meridian; f0 and l0, the latitude and
longitude, respectively, of the grid origin; and E0 and N0, the
false easting and false northing. The longitude of the grid
origin l0 is conventionally referred to as the longitude of the
central meridian.
Conversion equations of the transverse Mercator involve
series expansions truncated to a limited number of terms.

Source: Wolf & Dewitt, pp 573-577

Forward Conversion:
Geodetic fl to T-Mercator XY

A key parameter involved in transverse Mercator

conversions is the meridional distance M from the equator to
a specific latitude f0. Calculation of M can be performed by
a truncated series expansion which is given in the following
equation:

In this equation a is the semi-major axis, and e the

eccentricity. The value of f (latitude) in the first term must
be in radians. This equation is accurate to within 1 mm for
any latitude.
Source: Wolf & Dewitt, pp 583
Forward Conversion:
Geodetic fl to T-Mercator XY
Then the forward procedure begins by computing the
following preliminary quantities T, C, and A.

Source: Wolf & Dewitt, pp 583

Forward Conversion:
Geodetic fl to T-Mercator XY
After computing the terms in the previous slide, the
following equations complete the forward conversion to
transverse Mercator’s X and Y

Source: Wolf & Dewitt, pp 584

Inverse Conversion:
T-Mercator XY to Geodetic fl
The inverse conversion is computed from the following 2
equations:
See Example F-4,
wolf and Dewitt,
“Elements of
Photogrammetry”,
3rd Edition, pp
585.

For the detailed description of every contributing term in

the two equations, refer to equations F-38 to F-43 on page
584 of Wolf and Dewitt “ Elements of Photogrammetry”
3rd Edition. Source: Wolf & Dewitt, pp 585
Next Lecture and Reading
Assignment
Next Lecture will be about Coordinates and
projections in Modern Geomatics Packages,
ARC/GIS as and example.
Read Chapter 5 of Wolf & Dewitt “ Elements of
Photogrammetry” 3rd Edition, pp 109-124 (posted at
a handout on Ms-Teams soon)
Read Appendix F, of Wolf & Dewitt “ Elements of
Photogrammetry” 3rd Edition, pp 569-589 (posted as
a handout on the course page of MS-Teams).