Archaeology > Global Positioning Satellites

GLOBAL POSITIONING SATELLITES

GPS is a modern version of the age-old technique of triangulation, using high-precision instruments to measure angle, distance, and time.   The system uses an array of satellites, referred to as a constellation, located in synchronized orbits around the earth.   The position of each satellite is known to an extremely precise level.   Radio signals transmitted by the satellites are used to calculate the location of the GPS receiver equally precisely.

The position can then be translated to any common coordinate system and map projection, such as State Plane or UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator), the latter used for U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps.

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Survey Evaluation Mitigation Mapping Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Construction Monitoring return to Cultural Resources Management