What is Coordinate Reference System?

The coordinate reference system is the backbone of a mapping project. It provides the framework to tie together all field survey and map data. The coordinate reference system must be specified for the final map product. Typically, the State Plane Coordinate zone or the universal transverse Mercator (UTM) zone in which the project is located is used to define a mapping coordinate system. The photogrammetric engineer must be familiar with the reference datum, the coordinate system definition, and the methods required to transform all data into the final map coordinate system.