Canadian Spatial Reference System

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The Canadian Spatial Reference System (CSRS) is a three-dimensional grid on which positions (latitude, longitude and height) of any object or feature can be precisely pinpointed. The infrastructure underlying a grid consists of a network of points whose coordinates are determined with the highest precision. Grids are fundamental for mapping, marine charting, navigation, boundary demarcation, crustal deformation study and other georeferencing applications. At the heart of the CSRS is the Canadian Active Control System (CACS); a network of continuously operating GNSS receivers. CACS data support positioning accuracy at the decimeter-level (e.g. for imagery geocoding and realtime applications), the centimeter-level (e.g. for legal surveys) and the millimeter-level (e.g. for measuring crustal motion). (Canadian Geodetic Survey: Spatially Enabling Canada,Core Geospatial Data, Natural Resources Canada.)

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