Spatial Data Defined (Spatial Data and the Science of Measurement) (The 3-D Global Spatial Data Model)

Use of the GSDM can foster greater insight into the relationships between coordinate systems and how they are used to handle spatial data. Spatial data are described as those numerical values that represent the location, size, and shape of objects found in the physical world. Examples include points, lines, directions, planes, surfaces, and objects. For the purposes of this topic, spatial data are defined as the distance between endpoints of a line in Euclidean space.endpoints may be nonphysical entities such as an origin or a specific location on the axis of a coordinate system. An endpoint may also represent the location of some physical feature such as a survey monument, building corner, benchmark, or other object. Geometrical elements such as planes, surfaces, and other objects formed by the movement and aggregation of distances also qualify as spatial data. Although straight-line distances are generally presumed, the measure of a distance can also be along a curved line, in either linear or angular units, without violating the definition. As used here, the definition of spatial data also includes, but is not limited to, geospatial data.