Disciplines

Geodesy

jee-OD-iss-ee

Also Known As Geodetics

Earth Science

Citation Formats

General Reference

Earth and Environment Atlas. "Geodesy." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://earth.interactiveatlas.org/disciplines/geodesy.

APA Style

Earth and Environment Atlas. (n.d.). Geodesy. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://earth.interactiveatlas.org/disciplines/geodesy

BibTeX

@misc{earthandenvironmentatlas-geodesy,
  author = {Earth and Environment Atlas},
  title = {Geodesy},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://earth.interactiveatlas.org/disciplines/geodesy},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

The science of measuring and representing Earth's geometry, gravity and spatial orientation as they vary in time. Its highly accurate observations are the scientific basis for mapping, navigation and positioning, its reference frames underpin satellite systems, transportation, global trade and timekeeping, and it studies geodynamic phenomena including crustal motion, tides and polar motion; applied to other worlds it becomes planetary geodesy.

Facts

Central Question

What are Earth's exact geometry, gravity and spatial orientation, and how do they change with time? 1

Scope

Geodesy measures and represents the Earth's shape, orientation and gravity field, and precisely tracks how those quantities change over time. 1

Significance

Geodesy provides the reference frames behind GPS navigation and measures phenomena such as post-glacial rebound, sea-level rise and tectonic plate motion. 1

Cross-Tradition Connections