Geometric Geodesy by Surv. K. F. A.

Aleem

GEODETIC DATUM TRANSFORMATION

The coordinates (latitude, longitude and height) of a point are dependent on the datum being used;
the coordinates of a point referred to the local datum will certainly be different from its coordinates
defined on the global datum. Coordinates can thus be transformed from one datum to another if the
relationship between the two datums, that is, if a set of transformation parameters which can be
used to transform the coordinates in one datum to the other are known. The process of converting
coordinates from one datum to the other is known as datum transformation. The derived
coordinates on global datum and local datum coordinates of common points may be processed
together using an appropriate transformation model, several of which have been developed by
Geodesists. The models differ from each other in several ways including the type of coordinates
used and the interpretation of results

The outcome of the processing would be a set of quantities known as transformations

parameters; these are later substituted into the formulae for transforming coordinates from one
datum to the other.

METHODS:- The methods of determining datum transformation parameters can be listed as:

 Molodensky Badekas Transformation Model

 The projective method of triangulation/trilateration adjustment procedure as described
by Helmert. These include:
 The Bursa/Wolf Transformation Model
 The Veis Transformation Model
 The Wells-Vanicek Transformation Model
 A Differential Projective Transformation Model [Vening Meinesz formula,
Molodensky formula, Baldini formula, Vincenty formula, and Heiskanen and
Moritz formula.
 Development Method.
However, the methods of datum transformation discussed in this chapter are:

 The Bursa/Wolf Transformation Model

 Molodensky-Badekas Transformation Model
 Differential Projective Transformation Model
THE BURSA-WOLF TRANSFORMATION MODEL

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The 7-parameter datum transformation also known as Helmert transformation or similarity

transformation or orthogonal transformation is generally expressed as:

R = R G + KMr (3.1)

Z
z
z
P
S
Po
y
G

O Y

X
Figure 3.1: Positioning and Orienting a Geodetic Datum

Let ( X , Y , Z ) defines the coordinate system to which satellite observations are referred, say WGS84

(geocentric datum), and ( x, y , z ) defines the geodetic Cartesian coordinate system, say Clarke

1880 (local datum) (Heiskanen & Moritz, 1967; Torge, 1980; Ezeigbo, 1990; Singh, 1994;
Hofmann-Wellenhof & Moritz, 2005).

If the ( X , Y , Z ) coordinate axes of two datums are known to be parallel and identically scaled, a
three parameter transformation (translations) can be derived to represent their relationship (Torge,
1980; Andrew, 1998; Seeber, 2003). In reality none of these assumptions occurs, the establishment
of a local geodetic datum did not always achieve the objective of making axes parallel to the global
system. This is in particular the case for many existing national datums, and thus translation can
vary from point to point. A more general transformation involves seven parameters: a change in
scale factors between the two systems, the rotation of the axes between the two systems and the
three translation factors (Charles, 2000; Seeber, 2003; Hofmann-Wellenhof & Moritz, 2005).

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X� �
� DX � �1 - z + y ���
x
� � � � ���
DY �
Y �= �
� + z
�+ � 1 y [1+ d K ]
- x ���
�
�Z�
� �� ��
DZ � - y
� + x 1 � ���
z
��

This can be written as:

X = DX + x -  z y +  y z + xK

Y = DY + y +  z x -  x z + yK

Z = DZ + z -  y x +  x y + zK

THE MOLODENSKY-BADEKAS MODEL

The Molodensky–Badekas method is a variation of the 7-parameter transformation method (ESRI,

2006). This model rotates the network around axes parallel to those of the geodetic system at the
initial point, that is, the fixed point of rotation or the point around which the rotations are made is a

point on the reference ellipsoid P0 (see figure 3.1) which is preferably the centroid or the
barycentre of the points (origin) of the network or any convenient point within the network

If P0 (see figure 3.1) is the fixed point of the rotation M . Equation (3.1) can be modified as follows
:

R = R G + KMr

= R G + K ( r0 + MS )

= R G + Kr0 + KMS

The points on the spheroid are relatively very close to the point Po and therefore the effects of any
systematic errors in the rotations on the translations will be very small. In other words the
correlations between the rotations and the translations are insignificant (Burford, 1985).

Equation (3.6) represents Molodensky-Badekas Transformation Model. In this model, the

coordinates of the initial point are not rotated. Consequently the errors in the rotation parameters

will not affect the errors in the shift parameters ( DX , DY , DZ ) as in the case of the Bursa Wolf

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model. Therefore, the correlation between the rotation and shift parameters is small. The
convergence of the iterated solution is also very good

If the local system is aligned to the global datum using Laplace equation, that is, if Laplace

equation is fulfilled at least at the initial point P0 (origin of the network) then, there is no need for
introducing the rotations in the model because the enforcement of Laplace equation guarantees the
parallelism of the axes of the global astronomic and ellipsoidal systems and hence ensure that the
spatial computations take place in f , l , h system whose axes are parallel to the global system
X , Y , Z . This is why differential projective transformation models deal with translation of the
origin and changes in ellipsoid size and shape.

A DIFFERENTIAL PROJECTIVE TRANSFORMATION MODEL

In the differential projective method, three spatial displacements of the ellipsoid with respect to the
geoid and a variation in the ellipsoidal parameters are permitted and also, the parallelism of the
geodetic and global system is maintained. With this, rotation is excluded from the definition of the
geodetic datum, which defines ellipsoidal parameters a and f , the orientation of the f , l , h or
x, y, z system with respect to the X , Y , Z system, and hence, with respect to the body of the earth

The derivation of a differential approach to projective transformation method has been discussed by
many authors. The detail of this can be found in (Rapp, 1981). The differential method discussed
in this study is the one described by

Let a geodetic datum be defined by either of the sets of parameters below:

a. a , f , N 0 , x 0 , & h0

b. a , f , f0 , l0 , & h0

c. a , f , x0 , y0 , & z0

The expression (c) above is different but equivalent to expressions (a) & (b). Where,

x 0 = F 0 - f0

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h0 = ( L 0 - l0 ) cos f0

N 0 = h0 - H 0

Where,

a & f are the dimensions of the reference ellipsoid (semi-major axis &
flattening respectively)

N 0 x 0 & h0 are the relative orientation of the reference ellipsoid with respect to
the earth or the geoid [geoidal undulation, Meridian & Prime Vertical
components of the deflection of the vertical at an initial point P1
(local geodetic datum system origin) respectively]

f0 l0 & h0 are the geodetic coordinates (latitude, longitude and ellipsoidal height
of the initial point P0 )

x0 y0 & z0 rectangular coordinates of the center of the reference ellipsoid with

respect to the earth’s centre (geocenter) ( X , Y , Z )

F0 & L0 are astronomical latitude and longitude respectively

H0 is the orthometric height

h0 is the ellipsoidal height

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Geodetic Datum Transformation Parameters (Local to WGS-84)

d = delta in meters; e = error estimate in meters

Regio
Datum Ellipsoid dX dY dZ n of eX eY eZ Remarks
use
Niger
Minna Clarke 1880
ia

Use the above example to complete the above table

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REFERENCE ELLIPSOIDS

Ellipsoid Semi-major axis 1/flattening

Clarke 1880** 6378249.145 293.465
GRS 80 6378137 298.257222101
WGS 84 6378137 298.257223563
** Clarke 1880 is the reference ellipsoid adopted in Nigeria. It has the same paramters
with Minna datum

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