[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 196 (Wednesday, October 9, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81891-81892]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-23347]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Updated Implementation Timeline for the Modernized National 
Spatial Reference System (NSRS)

AGENCY: National Geodetic Survey (NGS), National Ocean Service, 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of upcoming changes.

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SUMMARY: The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) is in the process of 
modernizing the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS). NGS plans to 
replace all three North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83) frames and all 
vertical datums of the NSRS, including the North American Vertical 
Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88), with four new terrestrial reference frames and 
one new geopotential datum to which all geodetic coordinates and 
derived coordinates within the NSRS will be referenced. NGS is 
releasing key details of the transition to the new datums in the 
modernized NSRS to help users and interested parties prepare for the 
coming change.

DATES: The modernization of the NSRS is scheduled to occur in 2025 or 
2026. NGS intends to release associated tools and services within five 
years of the modernization.

ADDRESSES: National Geodetic Survey, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver 
Spring, MD 20910. geodesy.noaa.gov; beta.ngs.noaa.gov; https://geodesy.noaa.gov/datums/newdatums/index.shtml.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Dru Smith, NSRS Modernization 
Manager, NOAA Office of National Geodetic Survey, 1315 East-West 
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910, or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#224650570c514f4b564a624c4d43430c454d54"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5b3f292e752836322f331b35343a3a753c342d">[email protected]</span></a>, (240) 533-
9654.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The modernization of the NSRS is designed to 
improve the accuracy of Federal geodetic control. For over 200 years, 
NGS and its predecessor agencies (including the Survey of the Coast, 
which was founded in 1807), have been the stewards of the NSRS--the 
geodetic infrastructure of the United States. NGS strives to modernize 
the NSRS as technology and scientific knowledge advance. In 2020, NGS 
issued a Federal Register Notice (FRN) announcing that the completion 
and rollout of the NSRS modernization was expected to occur between 
2022 and 2025 (85 FR 44864). This notice announces the updated 
projected timeline for the latest modernization effort.
    The last significant modernization of the NSRS resulted in the 
creation of the original North American Datum of 1983 (54 FR 25318) and 
the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (58 FR 34245). These datums 
were defined before the widespread use of the Global Positioning System 
(GPS) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and were 
determined using classical (i.e., terrestrial, line-of-sight) geodetic 
measurement techniques. Over the years, minor corrections to and 
expansion of the NSRS occurred; however, no significant update was 
possible until now. Through modern

[[Page 81892]]

geodetic surveying technology, extensive data collection initiatives, 
and advances in scientific knowledge, a more accurate, modern NSRS is 
possible. The new frames and datum shall be known as the ``North 
American Terrestrial Reference Frame of 2022,'' the ``Pacific 
Terrestrial Reference Frame of 2022,'' the ``Caribbean Terrestrial 
Reference Frame of 2022,'' the ``Mariana Terrestrial Reference Frame of 
2022,'' and the ``North American-Pacific Geopotential Datum of 2022,'' 
and may be referred to as ``NATRF2022,'' ``PATRF2022,'' ``CATRF2022,'' 
``MATRF2022,'' and ``NAPGD2022,'' respectively. The new reference 
frames will rely primarily on GNSSs, such as the GPS, as well as on a 
gravimetric geoid model resulting from the Gravity for the Redefinition 
of the American Vertical Datum (GRAV-D) Project. The modernized NSRS 
will be easier to access and maintain than the existing NSRS, which 
relies on physical survey marks that deteriorate over time. The 
modernized NSRS will define new, more accurate, and more regularly 
updated geodetic coordinates (i.e., latitude, longitude, ellipsoid 
height, orthometric height, acceleration of gravity, deflections of the 
vertical, and others). Coordinates will be estimated within these 
frames and datum at regular reference epochs from all historic survey 
data available to NGS, beginning with 2020.00.
    The following details outline the process for the rollout of the 
modernized NSRS:
    <bullet> NGS plans to roll out components of the modernized NSRS in 
2025 or 2026. As each component is released at beta.ngs.noaa.gov, it 
can be publicly tested with feedback provided to NGS. The testing will 
continue for at least six months after the final component is released 
on beta.ngs.noaa.gov.
    <bullet> While the modernized NSRS is being rolled out and tested, 
the current NSRS will remain the official NSRS of the United States. 
The official NSRS (i.e., currently NAD 83, NAVD 88, etc.) may be found 
at geodesy.noaa.gov. Only one major improvement to the current NSRS is 
expected during this time: ITRF2020 will be integrated in all products 
and services.
    <bullet> Once testing is complete, and all modernized NSRS 
components appear to be stable and correct, the Federal Geodetic 
Control Subcommittee (FGCS) will be asked to vote to approve the 
modernized NSRS (likely in 2026). If FGCS approves the modernized NSRS, 
NGS will publish an FRN announcing the approval of the modernized NSRS 
and begin a several-month process of transitioning all modernized NSRS 
components to the official website at geodesy.noaa.gov. During this 
transition, the beta website may be wiped of submitted data and no 
further submissions to the NGS IDB (the repository for the current 
NSRS) will be allowed.
    Additional information regarding the modernization of the NSRS may 
be found at https://geodesy.noaa.gov/datums/newdatums/index.shtml.
    Authority: 33 U.S.C. 883a et seq.

Shachak Pe'eri,
Acting Director, Office of National Geodetic Survey, National Ocean 
Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
[FR Doc. 2024-23347 Filed 10-8-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-JE-P


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