1. Height Modernization Activities at NGS Christine Gallagher National Partner Meeting April 30, 2014

2. The National Height Modernization Program: 1.aims to improve access to accurate, reliable, consistent “heights;” 2.often focuses on obtaining orthometric heights using GNSS; 3.also includes leveling projects, GRAV-D Project, geoid modeling, and other research; and 4.ultimately enables efficiently obtaining accurate heights, with major cost savings.

3. NGS Ten-Year Plan & HMOD Plan Updated NGS Ten-year Plan Goal 1: Support NSRS users todayGoal 2: Modernize & improve NSRS Goals 3-5: Expand stakeholder base; improve workforce and organizational functionality Height Modernization National Plan Goal 1: Support NAVD 88 users today Goal 2: Modernize & improve vertical datum Goal 3: Increase technical capacity with stakeholder base & workforce

4. SUPPORT NAVD 88 USERS TODAY Goal 1

5. Height Modernization guidelines 5 NOS NGS 58 GPS-derived ellipsoid heights (November 1997) NOS NGS 59 GPS-derived orthometric heights (March 2008)

6. Updating NGS 58/59 Data collected in Oct. thru Dec. 2013 Data analysis ongoing Goal for updated guidelines in 2016

7. More ongoing projects Refine and streamline submittal process (“re- invent” Bluebooking) – Completing improvements to ADJUST – Defining requirements for improved LOCUS Update River Crossing Procedures – Proof of concept planned for summer 2014 – Goal for updated procedures in winter 2014

8. Upcoming projects GPS survey in southern Louisiana – Following 2004, 2006 and 2010 surveys GPS survey in Great Lakes – Preparing for next International Great Lakes Datum Nationwide vertical adjustment – Use NAD 83(2011) ellipsoid heights, GEOID12A, and subset of national GNSS network – Constrain to leveled NAVD 88 bench marks – Determine GNSS-derived NAVD 88 heights on non-leveled marks

9. INCREASE STAKEHOLDER AND WORKFORCE TECHNICAL CAPACITY Goal 3

11. Regional Coordination NGS coordinated webinars – Nov. 19, 2013 for western states – Mar. 4, 2014 for eastern states Locally lead meetings projects – Great Lakes Consortium – Gulf Coast cross-state projects – Western group now meeting regularly – Eastern kick-off meeting on June 10

13. COMET projects Creating videos introducing datums to non- technical audience Developing online lesson on vertical datums to non-surveying technical professionals

15. NGS webpage(s) Height Mod regional pages will be updated and will replace state pages by June 2014 Height Mod pages will continue to update events, outreach, news and project information

16. Collaborative efforts GPS on bench marks – Publicity for surveying – Improve future hybrid geoid models Research and university – Hollings scholar research projects – NOAA Cooperative Institute Program Professional Societies – National Society of Professional Surveyors

17. Questions Christine Gallagher Program Analyst National Geodetic Survey Email: Christine.Gallagher@noaa.gov Office: 301-713-3187 x132 Cell: 202-236-6092 http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/heightmod/