Initial Publication Date: August 12, 2026
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Cite thisThe Shape of Earth and Reference Ellipsoids Tutorial
Description
GPS instruments measure typically report elevation compared to a reference ellipsoid.
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Provenance: Gabrielle Troia (EarthScope)
Reuse: This item is offered under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ You may reuse this item for non-commercial purposes as long as you provide attribution and offer any derivative works under a similar license.
This webpage tutorial explains what reference ellipsoids are and how ellipsoids are used in calculating elevation above sea-level.
Context
This could be used to expand on students' existing knowledge of Earth's shape as it relates to GPS measurements of elevation, or it could be used to prime students before introducing the geoid.
Reference Information
Author/Developer: EarthScope Consortium
https://www.earthscope.org/what-is/gps/reference-frames/the-shape-of-earth-and-reference-ellipsoids/
