Spherical Coordinate System

spherical coordinate system
See Also: geographic coordinate system
[coordinate systems] A reference system using positions of latitude and longitude to define the locations of points on the surface of a sphere or spheroid.

A spherical coordinate system, with origin O and azimuth axis A. The point has radius r = 4, elevation θ = 50°, and azimuth φ = 130°.

Spherical coordinate system
The spherical coordinate system is a coordinate system on a given sphere based on the selection of a pair of antipodal (opposite) points, designated as the poles of the system.

Spherical Coordinate System: A coordinate system measured on the surface of a sphere, usually expressed as angular distances.

the north/south component of the spherical coordinate system most widely used to record geodetic locations.

almost always a positive quadrant coordinate system, and are easier to develop and use over a small area. Recently, with improvements in computer processing capabilities, GIS and GPS systems are migrating toward using the spherical coordinate system ...

equipment (rulers, protractors, planimeters, dot grids, etc.) cannot be used to measure distance, angle, area, or shape on a sphere, as these tools have been constructed for use in planar models.
The latitude-longitude spherical coordinate system ...

See also: Coordinate, Axis, Coordinate system, Projection, Location