Vertical Datums
A vertical datum is technically, a surface of zero elevation to which heights of various points are referred in order that those heights be in a consistent system. More broadly, a vertical datum is the entire system of the zero elevation surface and methods of determining heights relative to that surface. Over the years, many different types of vertical datums have been used. The most dominant types today are tidal datums and geodetic datums.
Tidal datums are determined by averaging the level of water at a tide gauge over time. Some simple examples of these are Mean Sea Level (MSL), Mean Low Water (MLW) and Mean Higher High Water (MHHW).
Mean Sea Level (MSL) is a tidal datum which is computed by the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) as part of the National Tidal Datum Epoch (NTDE) based on data collected over a 19-year tide cycle. It pertains to Local Mean Sea Level (LMSL) at the tide station at which it was observed and should not be confused with any other vertical datum, including LMSL at other tide stations. The current NTDE for the United States is 1983-2001.
Geodetic datums are predominantly determined through a process of surveying known as geodetic leveling, determining the height differences between points in the ground known as bench marks. These height differences can only yield actual heights at the benchmarks if at least one datum origin point is chosen to serve as the absolute level of the vertical datum. It is frequently the practice of those responsible for defining a geodetic datum, to choose a datum origin point that is also at a tide gauge so a relationship between the tidal and geodetic datums exists, though this is by no means a requirement.
In the United States and its territories, NOAA's National Geodetic Survey (NGS) responsibilities include defining and providing access to and maintenance of geodetic vertical datums. These datums are part of the overall National Spatial Reference System (NSRS). North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88), American Samoa Vertical Datum of 2002 (ASVD02), Guam Vertical Datum of 2004 (GUVD04), Northern Marianas Vertical Datum of 2003 (NMVD03) and Puerto Rico Vertical Datum of 2002 (PRVD02). Additionally, Virgin Island Vertical Datum of 2009 (VIVD09) will soon be published and a new Hawaii vertical datum is in the planning stage. Each of these datums has either a single datum origin point, otherwise known as a primary bench mark, or one such point per island in its coverage area. Every datum origin point in these five datums is at a tide gauge. To determine the heights of the respective origin points, first local mean sea level relative to the respective NTDE was determined. Next, a nearby bench mark was chosen as the datum origin point for a particular continuous land area (which could be an island or an entire continent). The height above LMSL for those origin bench marks was determined by leveling between the tide station reference mark and the bench mark that is serving as the datum origin point. This height above LMSL was held fixed as the single initial constraint for that particular land area.
The Vertical Mark Number (VM) and Permanent IDentifier (PID) shown on the bench mark sheet are unique identifiers for bench marks in the CO-OPS NGS databases, respectively. For bench marks where both VM and PID are indicated, both tidal and geodetic vertical datum elevations are available. Contemporary geodetic vertical datums established by NGS are realized through the publication of heights derived from a simultaneous, least squares minimally constrained adjustment of leveling observations between passive geodetic control spanning the region for which the datum is defined.
North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)
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North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88) consists of a leveling network on the North American Continent, ranging from Alaska, through Canada, across the United States, affixed to a single origin point on the continent:
In 1993 NAVD 88 was affirmed as the official vertical datum in the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) for the Conterminous United States and Alaska (see Federal Register Notice (FRN)). Although many papers on NAVD 88 exist, no single document serves as the official definitional document for that datum. Detailed information about NAVD 88 is available here.- Tide Station & Location = Pointe-au-Pere,Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
- PID = TY5255
- GSD* Designation = 54L071
- Bench Mark = 1250 G
- Height above LMSL(meters) = 6.271
* Geodetic Survey of Canada = GSD
American Samoa Vertical Datum of 2002 (ASVD02)
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American Samoa Vertical Datum of 2002 (ASVD02) consists of a leveling network on the island of Tutuila (in the territory of American Samoa) affixed to a single origin point on the island:
Per FRN (2009), ASVD02 was affirmed as the official vertical datum in the National Spatial Reference System for the island of Tutuila in American Samoa, replacing all previous height systems for this region. The official definitional document for that datum was published in 2009 and is available here.
Guam Vertical Datum of 2004 (GUVD04)
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Guam Vertical Datum of 2004 (GUVD04) consists of a leveling network on the island of Guam affixed to a single origin point on the island:
Per FRN (2009), GUVD04 was affirmed as the official vertical datum in the National Spatial Reference System for the island of Guam, replacing all previous height systems for this region. The official definitional document for that datum was published in 2009 and is available here.
Northern Marianas Vertical Datum of 2003 (NMVD03)
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Northern Marianas Vertical Datum of 2003 (NMVD03) consists of a set of three independent leveling networks on the islands of Rota, Saipan and Tinian (in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). Each of these leveling networks is affixed to a single origin piont on their respective islands reference to the Saipan tide station.
Rota:
Saipan:- Tide Station & Location = Rota East Harbor, Rota
- PID = DG4014
- VM = None
- Bench Mark = TIDAL 3
- Height above LMSL(meters) = 1.482
Tinian:
Per FRN (2009), NMVD03 was affirmed as the official vertical datum in the National Spatial Reference System for the islands of Rota, Saipan and Tinian in the CNMI, replacing all previous height systems for this region. The official definitional document for that datum was published in 2009 and is available here.- Tide Station & Location = Tinian Harbor, Tinian
- PID = AA4407
- VM = None
- Bench Mark = TIDAL 1
- Height above LMSL(meters) = 2.361
Puerto Rico Vertical Datum of 2002 (PRVD02)
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Puerto Rico Vertical Datum of 2002 (PRVD02) consists of a leveling network on the island of Puerto Rico affixed to a single origin point on the island:
Per FRN (2012), PRVD02 was affirmed as the official vertical datum in the National Spatial Reference System for the islands of Puerto Rico replacing all previous height systems for this region. Currently, there is no official defining document.
Virgin Island Vertical Datum of 2009 (VIVD09)
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Virgin Island Vertical Datum of 2009 (VIVD09) consists of a set of three independent leveling networks on the islands of St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas (in the United States Virgin Islands). Each of these leveling networks is affixed to a single origin point on their respective island.
St. Croix:
St. John:
St. Thomas:
The FRN (2011), VIVD09 was affirmed as the official vertical datum in the National Spatial Reference System for the islands of St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, replacing all previous height systems for this region. Currently, there is no official defining document for VIVD09.
