What is the difference between chart datum and ordnance datum?
Christopher Anderson
Published Feb 17, 2026
What is the difference between chart datum and ordnance datum?
Chart Datum is the most common datum for tide tables, although for engineering purposes, Ordnance Datum is more common as it is easier to relate the height of the water to levels on land.
What is hat and LAT?
Highest astronomical tide (HAT) is the highest level, and Lowest astronomical tide (LAT) the lowest level that can be expected to occur under average meteorological conditions and under any combination of astronomical conditions. HAT and LAT are determined by inspecting predicted sea levels over a number of years.
What is hydrographic datum?
The “hydrographic datum” or “chart datum” is the level of water that charted depths displayed on a nautical chart are measured from. Likewise, tide tables give the height of the tide above a chart datum.
What is admiralty chart datum?
Definition of Chart datum (CD): The level to which both tidal levels and water depths are reduced. On most Admiralty charts, this level is that of the predicted lowest astronomical tide (LAT).. This is the common definition for Chart datum (CD), other definitions can be discussed in the article.
What does Metres Above Ordnance Datum mean?
mAOD= Meters above ordnance datum. This gives the actual elevation of the groundwater level referenced to the mean sea level at the UK Ordnance datum at Newlyn, Cornwall. All elevations in the UK are derived from this datum.
Is Newlyn datum?
Although OS set up tide gauges in Felixstowe (1913), Newlyn (1915) and Dunbar (1917), Newlyn was chosen as the single reference datum. This was largely because it’s in an area of stable granite rock and, with the gauge at the end of a stone pier at the harbour entrance, it’s exposed to the open Atlantic.
How do I know if I have MHWS?
During subdivision when an esplanade reserve or esplanade strip is set aside from land with a tidal boundary, the boundary is mean high water springs (MHWS) as per s230 of the RMA. If the horizontal positions of MHWS and MHWM are not significantly different, the tidal boundary is labelled MHWM/MHWS.
What is chart datum in Canada?
On most Canadian coastal charts the surface of lower low water, large tide, or LLWLT , has been adopted as chart datum, but the term ” lowest normal tide, ” or ” LNT, ” has been retained on the charts since it encompasses a variety of other choices for chart datum on some older charts.
How do you find the above Ordnance Datum?
Benchmark locator. Ordnance Survey Bench marks (BMs) are survey marks made by Ordnance Survey to record height above Ordnance Datum. If the exact height of one BM is known, the exact height of the next can be found by measuring the difference in heights, through a process of spirit levelling.
What is AOD measured in?
Aerosol Optical Depth
Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) is a quantitative estimate of the amount of aerosol present in the atmosphere, and it can be used as a proxy for surface Particulate Matter PM2. 5 (particles smaller than 2.5 µm median diameter). AOD measures the extinction of a ray of light as it passes through the atmosphere.
Where is ordnance datum Newlyn?
Located at the end of one of the UK’s busiest fishing ports, you’ll find the unassuming Newlyn Tidal Observatory – the home of mean sea level for mainland Great Britain. Sea level was measured using averages of readings taken using a device known as a tide gauge.