Discussion 6: Coordinate System
For a farming GIS system, I would use the State Plane Coordinate System. The SPCS is a
system of large-scale map projections originally created in the 1930’s to support the mapping
activities throughout the United States. With this system, states are broken up in one to six
sections that are either North-South running and East-West running.
These projections are used as they give the least amount of distortion in the directions
they are used for. A standard Cartesian coordinate system is then overlayed onto these
projections and is done in such a way that all points within the area are positive numbers. The
negative of this system is that it is highly localized, the individual zones are mapped with
incredible precision, but this precision rapidly decreases as you move requiring constant
updating. Issues could stem in farms that border multiple zones, the distortion in these areas
would be at its max.
What is the state plane coordinate system? can GPS provide coordinates in these values?
. What
is the State Plane Coordinate System? Can GPS provide coordinates in these values? | U.S.
Geological Survey. (n.d.).
https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-state-plane-coordinate-system-
can-gps-provide-coordinates-these-values
US Department of Commerce, N. O. and A. A. (n.d.).
State Plane Coordinate System (SPCS) -
tools - national geodetic survey
. Home.
https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/SPCS/
