The Work of Global Positioning System

Global Positioning System

How does it work? There are 24 to 32 operational GPS satellites that orbit earth at an altitude of20,200km.The user segmentin your smartphone or GPS unit uses signals from the satellites to work out the distance between your location and the satellites.The GPS triangulates the distance and determines your exact latitude and longitude coordinates to the nearest few metres.

Agriculture­- GPS collects real timedata and is used in many different ways for farming. GPS allows farmers to work during unpleasant weather conditions and it helps create a farm that is more eco-friendly by controlling chemical distribution.

Environment­-GPS constantly collects up to date datawhich helps to balance human needs along with preserving theEarth’s environment. It collects data that helps to analyze and understand environmental issues around the world.

Recreation­- GPS has reduced many of the problems that happen during outdoor activities like following the right path or returning to the correct campsite. Nowadays campers, bikers, hikers etc. don’t rely on maps made from paper, legends and compasses as much as they used to, and tend to use GPS instead. Atiny tracking device that is accurate inside the range of two feet. In the past GPS was not very reliable, it couldn’t even tell you what street you were on. Now GPS can show you the exact spot you are at on the street. GPS receivers used to be huge and clunky but now as miniaturization becomes more popular GPS trackers are being made to be the size of a key fob.

There are many dangers of GPS. One danger of GPS is it can be planted in one of your electronic devices i.e. your car. Someone can follow you around and constantly know where you are. Another problem with this is that it’s hard to get GPS out of these things, and it is not illegal. The Wave Bubble is a GPS jammer. When you use a Wave Bubble GPS receivers don't work around you or in your “bubble”.Using the Wave Bubble can cause problems and is illegal in the USA. It doesn’t justjam GPS receivers near you, they can jam receivers kilometers away from you and can be deadly. GIS stands for: Geographical Information SystemIt is a computer based mapping system that can showmany different kinds of data, such as streets, buildings, and vegetationon one map.

The first Digital map is used to see the South Pole and track where penguins migrate. It shows their 13,000 km and tracks what they did and ate. The next map first shows you where exactly Kraft Kitchen in Portugal is and then shows you where exactly in Santa Cruz the calamari came from. It shows you where exactly every menu item is from. Then you see a map that shows you a boat’s voyage from where they started off (Port of Bluff, New Zealand) and where it ended (Franklin Island). Along the way it shows everything they did on their voyage. One digital map is in Tai Lam Country Park China, and shows you the mountain biking trail, including rest stops, campsite, lookouts and more. The final map shows the area affected by forest fires last year and the areas not impacted in Schuylkill, PA.

Climate Scientist

Climate Scientists use GIS to make maps and diagrams to help people process climate information, how this affects us, and how we are altering the planet. These diagrams can help us to become climate smart.

Health Geographer

They use different kinds of technology to try to prevent the general public from catching diseases. Health geographers use GIS to understand relationships between the environment and diseases, and to find up to date data to try to prevent diseases from spreading.

Helicopter Firefighter

In order to do rescues and put out fires helicopter firefighters must use georeferencing to know where things are. GIS has changed the way firefighters do things. GIS lets firefighters create shape files of where incidents are helps to create a pinpoint location. This map is a map of the Delhi township. It is used to show you what Delhi looks like and for you to explore the township. Finding aircrafts and saving lives after accidents through search and rescue.

Discovering oil spills to preserve marine life and the environment.To learn about, explore, and protect the Arctic.To measure protest sizes for journalism purposes.Locating swimming pools for night dives orfor the craze dipping. Other ways to use google earth include, using Google Earth to go on Street View and see something as if you are actually there. You can visit any place in the world actually travelling there. Finally teachers could use google earth to teach a lessonabout some place on the earth and help their students to understand it better with a virtual tour.