University of New BrunswickGeodesy and Geomatics Engineering

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About Geodesy and Geomatics

What is Geomatics?

Do you know what GPS is? How about Google Earth? Smartphones? 3D movies? Do you know what all of these have in common? They are all based on Geomatics technologies! You may have been using Geomatics without even knowing it.

Geomatics is a discipline, consists of several fields of study and is an industry. That is ...

Geomatics is an all-encompassing discipline which refers to a number of arts, sciences and technologies involved with the collection, processing, managing and displaying of geo-referenced information.

Geomatics involves primarily the fields of Geodesy, Global Navigation Satellite Systems, Surveying, Geographical Information Systems, Remote Sensing, Photogrammetry and Hydrography, either individually or integrated with each other.

Geomatics also refers to the industry that deals with spatially referenced information. Geomatics is a $3.7 Billion industry with a forecast demand for professionals varying from 14 to 35 percent growth in jobs over the next 10 years.

What is Geodesy?

Geodesy is the basic science that underlies Geomatics. In its most fundamental way, it deals with the measurement and representation of the geometry and gravity field of the Earth, including their variations over time. Geodesy studies geodynamical phenomena such as crustal motion, solid earth tides, and polar motion. There are a wide range of applications (e.g., monitoring sea-level variations, earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis). It also applies to other celestial bodies in what is referred to as Planetary Geodesy.

The use of artificial satellites for positioning (such as GPS) and gravity field measurements have caused an enormous growth in the applications of Geodesy.

What to learn more?

Check out Wikipedia for more information on Geomatics, Geomatics Engineering and Geodesy.