Search USGS⌕ Search
Home/Archive/USGS

USGS · 70012064

Map projections for satellite tracking.

J.P. Snyder
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

New map projections to be used for plotting successive satellite groundtracks show these tracks as straight lines. The map may be made conformal along any 2 parallels of latitude between the limits of latitude reached by the groundtrack, or the 'tracking limits'. If these parallels are equidistant from the Equator, they may both be made true to scale, and a cylindrical projection results. If these parallels are not equidistant from the Equator, only one may be made true to scale, and a conic projection results. The groundtracks generally have sharp breaks at either tracking limit. If the tracking limit is one of the parallels at which the map is conformal, there is no break in the groundtrack, and the conic projection may approach (but cannot become) an azimuthal projection.-Author

Explore related subjects

Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote SensingArticle

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

J.P. Snyder. 1981. Map projections for satellite tracking.. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70012064

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related USGS reports

USGS2025

Evaluating Three-Dimensional Elevation Program lidar consistency and accuracy at scale using cloud-native, open-source methods

The U.S. Geological Survey three-dimensional elevation program (3DEP) has significantly expanded national lidar coverage, necessitating scalable, reproducible methods for assessing data quality across diverse terrains and acquisition conditions. This study introduces a cloud-native, open-source workflow designed to evaluate the geometric accuracy and consistency of 3DEP lidar data sets at a national scale. Leveraging tools such as the Point Data Abstraction Library, Open3D, and Amazon Web Services infrastructure, the workflow integrates global navigation satellite system‐surveyed ground control points and terrestrial laser scanning data to validate airborne lidar collections. Two case studies demonstrate the application of this process. In Puerto Rico, the process identified vertical biases and inconsistencies in vegetated areas, while in Iowa and Arizona, the process confirmed high vertical accuracy with minimal bias. The results underscore the effectiveness of combining cloud computing with open-source tools to perform large-scale lidar data quality assessments. This process offers a reproducible, efficient solution for nationwide validation of 3DEP data sets, supporting enhanced decision-making in geospatial applications.

Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing↗
USGS2025

Artificial neural network multilayer perceptron models to classify California’s crops using Harmonized Landsat Sentinel (HLS) data

Advances in remote sensing and machine learning are enhancing cropland classification, vital for global food and water security. We used multispectral Harmonized Landsat 8 Sentinel-2 (HLS) 30-m data in an artificial neural network (ANN) multi-layer perceptron (MLP) model to classify five crop classes (cotton, alfalfa, tree crops, grapes, and others) in California's Central Valley. The ANN MLP model, trained on 2021 data from the United States Department of Agriculture's Cropland Data Layer, was validated by classifying crops for an independent year, 2022. Across the five crop classes, the overall accuracy was 74%. Producer's and user's accuracies ranged from 65% to 87%, with cotton achieving the highest accuracies. The study highlights the potential of using deep learning with HLS time series data for accurate global crop classification.

California↗