Datum Mystery Cache

This cache has been archived.

bullmoose_rocks: Another one to archive. Although one of the more recent puzzles I made, it still had been around a few years. The Hank you everyone who found it and enjoyed solving the puzzle.

Now the reveal:

Print the image. Carefully cut the paper into strips along the breaks in the image. Ensure you number them left to right to keep the, in the correct order. Simply, one at a time, line up lines of the same color (this is your datum). One gives you latitude, another longitude and the third reveals that the coordinates are in NAD27. Use your favourite converter to change them to WGS84. voila!

More
Hidden : 4/2/2010
Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:

Cache is in a small, camoed lock n' lock.

Ever wonder what the WGS84 refers to when looking at coordinates? This is the datum by which the position of the thing (like a geocache) is being measured from. In other words, a datum can mean a point, line or surface from which measurements are made.

If the earth was a perfect sphere, we wouldn't really worry about datums. However, the earth is not a perfect sphere - it bulges in the middle and is kinda lumpy (which happens when you get old). Surveyors throughout history have recognized this and carefully defined datums that were relevant to certain parts of the earth or the map areas they were concerned with. Defining a good global datum was far too difficult without the technology of satellites and computers that we have today. If you have gotten coordinates from an old map, you need to know what datum that map was drafted in, otherwise you could find yourself in the completely wrong spot. That's why your GPS receiver has a long list of datums to pick from.

In North America, the datums that have been commonly used were the North American Datum, which had versions from 1927 and 1983 (thus NAD27 and NAD83). NAD27 is good in local areas, but not as accurate as NAD83. In fact, converting from one to the other, you have to use the correct conversion formula to place yourself in the right spot. In Canada it is NTv2, whereas our neighbours to the south use NADCON to convert from these older datums to the newer ones.

WGS84 is the datum that most accurately approximates the true nature of earth, and does so because of satellite technology. WGS84 is also a global datum and works well no matter what part of the globe you are standing. If you solve the puzzle below, hopefully you'll find yourself standing at the cache site. Good luck and enjoy.

The coordinates are in the standard format N 50oXX.XXX',W 114oXX.XXX'

Please replace the cache as you found it.

You can check your answers for this puzzle on Geochecker.com.

Additional Hints (No hints available.)



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