sphereTibet

SphereTibet is a term used in geographic information science and digital mapping to denote a local spherical coordinate model for the Tibetan Plateau. It uses a sphere-based approximation to reduce projection distortions within the region, supporting analyses that rely on distance, area, and elevation relationships. It is described as regional rather than global.

Origin and usage: The term emerged in GIS practice and academic discussions in the 2010s as researchers sought methods to improve accuracy for plateau studies. It is not a universal standard but a descriptive approach used in software tools and research papers to handle Tibetan terrain.

Technical description: SphereTibet represents locations on a local sphere, with coordinates defined as angular values on the sphere plus an elevation component. Transformations to standard geographic coordinates require specifying a local origin, radius, and orientation. The approach aims to minimize spherical distortion over the plateau compared with a global sphere.

Applications: The model is used for terrain analysis, climate and hydrological modeling, remote sensing data fusion, and high-resolution digital elevation model visualization in the Tibetan region.

Limitations: Being region-specific, sphereTibet can hinder interoperability with global datums and standard projections. Edge effects may occur near regional boundaries, and coordinate transformations are often required to share data with other regions or systems.

See also: Geographic coordinate systems; Map projection; Tibetan Plateau; Global sphere models.