Skip to main content

Oregon State Flag An official website of the State of Oregon »

Oregon.gov Homepage

Network Coordinates

Datum Realization

Current - NAD 83 (2011) epoch 2010.00 Coordinate List

Superseded - NAD 83 (CORS 96) epoch 2002.00 Coordinate List

Managing the Coordinates

The Oregon Department of Transportation's Geometronics Unit intends to keep the Oregon Real-time GNSS Network aligned to the National Geodetic Survey National Spatial Reference System to help surveying, mapping, and other professionals determine positional coordinates that are compatible with coordinates derived by others.

This use of a common coordinate base allows project coordinates to be exchanged freely and ensures projects match up on the ground, thus saving time, money, and possibly costly mistakes by geospatial professionals.

Contact the ORGN

800 Airport Road SE
Salem, Oregon 97301

From its startup in 2006 until 8 March 2013, the datum realization for the ORGN was NAD 83(CORS96) epoch 2002.00, the same realization that was being used by the NGS for the National Spatial Reference System and all its active station products, i.e., NGS Continuously Operating Reference Stations and Online Positioning User Service.

In 2012, the National Geodetic Survey transitioned the National Spatial Reference System to a new datum realization: NAD 83(2011) epoch 2010.00. All NGS products, including the NGS CORS, NGS OPUS, and positions of passive marks are now aligned to NAD 83(2011) epoch 2010.00. For in-depth information on how the NGS computed the new positions, see the NGS CORS Coordinates webpage. This change of NGS CORS positions reflects 8 years of plate movement from 2002 to 2010.

In order to align the ORGN with the new datum realization for the NGS National Spatial Reference System, ODOT transitioned the ORGN to the NAD 83(2011) epoch 2010.00 datum realization on 8 March 2013.

Although the geographic coordinates of each ORGN site changed, the change from NAD 83(CORS96) epoch 2002.00 to NAD 83(2011) epoch 2010.00 is not a datum change. Rather, it is a new realization of the NAD 83 datum using the same reference ellipsoid (GRS80) with the same origin, orientation, and scale as all other realizations of NAD 83.​

The magnitude of coordinate changes for ORGN sites varies throughout the state.

Horizontal coordinates change from as little as two centimeters in eastern Oregon to as much as 13 centimeters on the Oregon coast. Vertical coordinates change from less than a millimeter up to three centimeters. The differences in magnitude throughout the state illustrate crustal motion over time.

 

Coordinate Map 1

Coordinate map 2

​To compute the superseded NAD 83(CORS96) epoch 2002.00 coordinates for ORGN stations​, ODOT, after consultation with NGS, submitted 22 days of 24-hour RINEX files for each ORGN station to NGS OPUS-Static. The resulting OPUS coordinates were statistically analyzed at the 99% confidence level.

ODOT closely followed the recommendations of the "Guidelines for Real Time GNSS Networks," NGS v. 2.0, to compute the new NAD 83(2011) epoch 2010.00 coordinates for ORGN stations.

Mark Armstrong, NGS State Geodetic Advisor for the State of Oregon, was the lead author in developing the ODOT “Guidelines for Positioning the Oregon Real Time Network with NGS Spatial Reference System Validation.” The ODOT Guidelines closely follow NGS guidelines for computing coordinates for regional real time GNSS networks. ODOT continues to work closely with NGS as they develop their policy and procedures for helping regional GNSS networks align to the National Spatial Reference System.

Elements of the plan for ORGN coordinate computation detailed in the ODOT “Guidelines for Positioning the Oregon Real Time Network with NGS Spatial Reference System Validation” include:

  • Processing 5 days (120 hours) of data for each ORGN station. We chose data that was collected during a period of high barometric pressure over the entire state: late September 2011.
  • Least squares adjustment of the data using NGS OPUS-Projects
  • Fixing, in our least squares adjustment, NGS CORS sites in Oregon and in surrounding states, that have “computed velocities”, that is, those NGS CORS sites with more than 2 ½ years of data used to compute site velocities.
  • Floating, in our least squares adjustment, those NGS CORS sites that only have “modeled velocities.” These are CORS sites for which NGS had less than 2 ½ years of data.
  • Striving to work with adjacent real time GNSS networks, especially the Washington State Reference Network, to ensure coordinate compatibility between networks.

Note: The ODOT-adopted positions for stations in the ORGN may vary slightly from the NGS-adopted CORS position for our partner stations that also NGS CORS sites. The NGS has acknowledged that regional real-time GNSS networks, such as the ORGN, may require tighter internal consistency than the NGS policy provides. The NGS draft “Guidelines for Real Time GNSS Networks”, v.2.0, March 2011, state that "For the sake of internal network consistency, the RTN administrator may want to adopt his/her adjusted values for the CORS coordinates rather than use the NGS-adopted values."​

​

​ORGN Products after the Transition to NAD 83(2011) epoch 2010.00

Starting at Noon, Pacific Standard Time, 8 March 2013, real-time correctors from the ORGN are referenced to NAD 83(2011) epoch 2010.00, latitude, longitude, and ellipsoid heights.

The ellipsoid heights sent out in ORGN real-time correctors are reduced from the antenna phase center to the antenna reference point (ARP). The antenna reference point is the physical point on the antenna, often the middle bottom of the antenna mount, to which all antenna calibrations are referenced. In their rovers, ORGN users should configure the base receiver as UNKNOWN and configure the base antenna as NULLADVANTENNA, null, or none. (Choices will vary between manufacturers, so please consult your vendor on how to configure your rover. Your rover must be using the latest IGS08 absolute antenna model which should be a choice on your data collector.)

At this same time, RINEX files from ODOT-owned GNSS sensors have the NAD 83(2011) epoch 2010.00 coordinates embedded into the RINEX file. Be aware that many of our ORGN stations are owned and operated by our partners, and our partner’s RINEX files may be referenced to a different datum or a datum realization than NAD 83(2011) epoch 2010.00.

If you are post processing using RINEX files and want to align your project to NAD 83(2011) epoch 2010.00, you may use any RINEX files from ODOT or our partners, but when you fix control in your adjustments, use the ORGN NAD 83(2011) epoch 2010.00 coordinates.

If you are post processing using RINEX files and want to align your project to NAD 83(CORS96) epoch 2002.00, you may use any RINEX files from ODOT or our partners, but when you fix control in your adjustments, use the superseded NAD 83(CORS96) epoch 2002.00 coordinates for the active ORGN stations.

Do not mix coordinates referenced to different datums or different datum realizations in the same project.

ORGN users should only use IGS08 absolute antenna calibrations when processing data with ORGN or NGS CORS coordinates referenced to NAD 83(2011) epoch 2010.00. IGS08 absolute antenna calibrations are now the default value available for download on the NGS antenna calibrations web page.

Consult your GNSS vendor to ensure you are using IGS08 antenna calibrations in your rover and your post processing software when using coordinates referenced to NAD 83(2011) epoch 2010.00.

ORGN users should only use the NGS GEOID12A geoid model when using ORGN real time-correctors referenced to NAD 83(2011) epoch 2010.00 or when post processing when using coordinates referenced to NAD 83(2011) epoch 2010.00. The GEOID12A model is intended to transform between NAD 83(2011) epoch 2010.00 ellipsoid heights and NAVD88 orthometric heights.

ORGN users post processing when using coordinates referenced to NAD 83(CORS96) epoch 2002.00 should use either the NGS GEOID03 or NGS GEOID09 geoid models.

​Agricultural users in eastern Oregon are the least affected by the change to ORGN coordinates. Positions on the ground may only change one inch or so, which may not require updating your land coordinate system.

Agricultural users on the Oregon coast may or may not want to make changes depending how they use their GNSS system. Updating your land coordinate system may be accomplished similarly to how surveyors will update their project coordinates as outlined below.

Always document the datum realization of your projects in the project metadata.

1. Starting a New Project in NAD 83(2011) epoch 2010.00

  • Just start surveying using the ORGN real-time correctors which are referenced to NAD 83(2011) epoch 2010.00. When post-processing, use the ORGN NAD 83(2011) epoch 2010.00 coordinates.
  • Use IGS08 Absolute Antenna Calibrations and GEOID12A.

2. Continuing an Existing NAD 83(CORS96) epoch 2002.00 Project in NAD 83(CORS96) epoch 2002.00

  • Perform a localization/calibration/transformation on your project after occupying your project control points with GNSS while receiving ORGN RT correctors referenced to NAD 83(2011) epoch 2010.00.
  • Hold the superseded NAD 83(CORS96) epoch 2002.00 ORGN coordinates for your localization.

Or, alternatively

3. Transitioning an Existing NAD 83(CORS96) epoch 2002.00 Project to NAD 83(2011) epoch 2010.00

  • Perform a localization/calibration/transformation on your project after occupying your project control points with GNSS while receiving ORGN RT correctors referenced to NAD 83(2011) epoch 2010.00, but hold the new NAD 83(2011) epoch 2010.00 ORGN coordinates for your localization.

Or, alternatively