Vertical datum transformation grids for Mexico

Abstract

Mexico has used two vertical datums-the U.S. National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD29) and the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88). Because Mexico started using the NAVD88 as its vertical datum in 2015, most of Mexico's data is referenced to the NGVD29 and recent high resolution data are referenced to the NAVD88. Compounding this situation, satellite-derived Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) are referenced to the Earth Gravimetric Model 96 (EGM96), and no tools are currently available in Mexico to transform elevation data between the aforementioned vertical datums. To overcome this problem, this work presents the development of two surfaces to transform orthometric heights between the NGVD29 and NAVD88 or between the NGVD29 and EGM96 in Mexico. these surfaces can be used by any interested user to transform orthometric heights referenced to the aforementioned datums.

Mesilla/Conejos-Médanos Basin: U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Water Resources

“…A binational water-level map was constructed by interpolating median groundwaterelevation data from measurements made in 2010 within the basin-fill sediments [10,18]. Measurements made in Mexico and reported in the National Geodetic American Vertical Datum of 1929 were converted to reference the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88) by using the correction factors from Carrera-Hernández (2020) [22] so that measurements within both countries were relative to a common datum. Data that were not measured within the basin-fill sediments or that were noted as being affected by nearby pumping, surface water, or other factors were omitted from the analysis.…”