Coordinate Translator
Translate WGS 84 coordinates and elevation based on distance, direction, and elevation change.
Input Coordinates
Enter the initial WGS 84 coordinates and elevation.
Translation Parameters
Specify the distance, direction, and elevation change.
About Coordinate Translation
This tool calculates new coordinates based on a given distance, direction, and elevation change from the initial WGS 84 coordinates. It uses the haversine formula for horizontal distance calculation and takes into account the elevation change. The direction is specified as a compass direction in degrees (0-359.99), where 0° is North, 90° is East, 180° is South, and 270° is West. This can be useful for various applications in navigation, surveying, and geospatial analysis.
Accuracy Considerations
This tool uses the WGS84 (World Geodetic System 1984) reference ellipsoid, which is the standard for GPS and many mapping applications. While highly accurate for most purposes, users should be aware of the following considerations:
- Earth's Shape Approximation: WGS84 approximates the Earth as an ellipsoid, which is very close to the Earth's actual shape but not perfect. This can introduce small errors, especially over very long distances.
- Haversine Formula: This tool uses the haversine formula, which assumes a spherical Earth. For most applications, the error introduced by this assumption is negligible, typically less than 0.3% even at antipodal points.
- Elevation Considerations: The tool accounts for elevation changes in a simplified manner. For very large elevation changes or distances, more complex geodetic calculations might be necessary for higher accuracy.
- Distance Limitations: For distances greater than about 1/4 of Earth's circumference (approximately 10,000 km), more sophisticated methods may be required for high accuracy.
- Practical Accuracy: For most practical applications involving distances up to several hundred kilometers, the accuracy of this tool is typically within a few meters, which is sufficient for many navigation and planning purposes.
For applications requiring extremely high precision, such as geodetic surveying or precise scientific measurements, users should consider more advanced geodetic calculation methods and tools.