altitudedepth
Altitudedepth is a conceptual term used to describe a unified vertical position metric that spans from high altitude in the atmosphere to depth in the ocean or subsurface. In practice, altitude refers to height above a reference surface, typically mean sea level or a geoid, while depth refers to distance below a reference surface, usually the sea surface or ground surface. Altitudedepth combines these into a single framework to describe a location’s vertical position relative to a chosen datum.
Because altitude and depth rely on different reference surfaces, altitudedepth requires careful datum handling. Converting between
Measurement and data sources for altitudedepth draw on a mix of technologies. Barometric and GNSS-based methods
Applications of a unified vertical framework include cross-domain planning for aviation and maritime operations, coastal and