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Happy New Year! I’ve always felt that a fresh calendar represents a world of new opportunities, and I wish you all a fantastic 2026. For many, this is a season for reflection and self-improvement, with goals typically centered on fitness, faith, personal growth or career milestones.
As regular readers of this newsletter know, my primary focus over the past year has been to champion the importance of geodesy and to prepare the geospatial community for the National Geodetic Survey’s modernized National Spatial Reference System (NSRS).
To see how modern tech would handle such a specialized professional niche, I asked the AI chatbot Grok: “What would be a good New Year’s resolution for a user of the National Spatial Reference System?”
The response was quite insightful. Take a look at what it suggested below.
What would be a good New Year’s Resolution for a user of the National Spatial Reference System? (Grok’s Response)
Fun and Practical New Year’s Resolutions for NSRS Users
As we head into 2026, the modernization of the NSRS is in full swing. NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey (NGS) released the first beta products in June 2025, with ongoing rollouts and testing throughout the year. The full transition to new frames like NATRF2022 and NAPGD2022 is expected soon, bringing centimeter-level accuracy aligned with GNSS and global standards—but it requires preparation.
Here are some timely, geodesy-inspired New Year’s resolutions tailored for surveyors, GIS professionals, engineers, and anyone relying on the NSRS:
- Fully transition workflows to the modernized NSRS. Commit to updating software, processes, and datasets for the new terrestrial reference frames and geopotential datum. Test tools on the NGS Beta site and provide feedback to help shape the final rollout.
- Achieve new heights (and accuracies) in 2026. Embrace NAPGD2022 for more precise orthometric heights. Resolve to reprocess key projects with updated transformations (via NCAT or VDatum) and say goodbye to NAVD 88 quirks.
- Stay grounded in best practices. Incorporate the latest NGS guidelines, like NOS NGS 92 standards for GNSS surveys. Attend webinars and workshops, or review resources, to keep your positioning sharp.
- Contribute to the system. Submit high-quality GNSS data via OPUS-Share or participate in crowdsourced efforts to improve the network. Help make the NSRS even more robust for everyone.
- Measure progress monthly. Track how the modernization impacts your work—review coordinate shifts, audit legacy data, and plan for smoother integrations in future projects.
These resolutions blend practicality with the spirit of improvement that defines geodesy. Happy New Year—may your positions be accurate, your elevations precise, and your datums forever modernized! For the latest updates, check geodesy.noaa.gov.
It’s no surprise that Grok highlighted the NSRS modernization; it even incorporated a photo of a geodetic benchmark I took for my July 2025 GPS World Survey Scene newsletter.
Understanding that most AI chatbots personalize results using past interactions (unless disabled), I wanted to test this. After clearing my cache and deleting all previous Grok interactions, I posed the question again.
You can find that second, impersonalized response below.
Second Response from Grok
What would be a good New Year’s Resolution for a user of the National Spatial Reference System? Grok’s Second answer.
Here are some practical, realistic, and useful New Year’s resolutions tailored for someone who regularly works with the NSRS whether you’re a surveyor, GIS professional, geodesist, engineer or data manager:
- “This year, I will stop mixing epochs without documenting them.” Resolve to always record the reference epoch (e.g., 2010.0, 2020.00) when I use NAD83(2011), NAD83(CORS96), NAD83(2011) epoch-specific coordinates, or when I transform to ITRF2020/2020.0. Bonus: add epoch to layer names and metadata.
- “I will run OPUS or CSRS-PPP at least once a month to keep my local control fresh.” Make it a habit to periodically re-observe a trusted point and submit it to NOAA’s OPUS (or CSRS-PPP in Canada) to verify that my local network hasn’t drifted too far from the national datum.
- “I will finally transition at least one active project to the modern NSRS (NAD83(2011)/NAVD88 → NATRF2022 / NAPGD2022).” Pick one ongoing or new project and do the full datum shift. Learn the tools (NADCON5, VERTCON3, GEOID18 → GEOID2022) and document what changed.
- “I will replace every ‘NAD83’ label that doesn’t specify an epoch or realization with something more precise.” No more generic “NAD83” in reports, plats, or metadata. Aim for “NAD83(2011) epoch 2010.0” or “NAD83(2011) CORS-derived” — or better yet, start using NATRF2022 when appropriate.
- “I will learn to use the NGS Coordinate Conversion and Transformation Tool (NCAT) fluently.” Commit to doing at least 5 conversions or transformations per month in NCAT instead of relying on old software or hand-calculated factors.
- “I will check the NGS Data Explorer / Datasheet for every benchmark or CORS I plan to use — before I use it.” No more assuming a published value is still good. Make it a 2-minute ritual to look up the latest adjusted position and velocity.
- “I will attend at least one NGS webinar or read one Bluebook chapter in 2026.” The NGS webinar series is free and excellent. Pick one session (e.g., on GEOID2022, NATRF2022 implementation, or GNSS vector processing) and actually watch it.
- “I will prepare a small ‘before/after’ datum comparison report for my organization or clients.” Quantify what the 2022–2025 NSRS modernization means in your typical project area (horizontal shift, orthometric height change). Even a one-page summary builds understanding and credibility.
- “I will stop treating GEOID18 as the final word and start using GEOID2022 for new work.” Especially important for projects that will live past 2025, as NGS is phasing out support for older geoids.
Pick one or two that feel achievable and most relevant to your day-to-day work. My personal favorite starter resolution for most NSRS users in 2026: “In 2026, I will clearly label the datum, realization, epoch, and geoid model on every deliverable I produce.”
That one habit alone dramatically reduces confusion downstream.
I really appreciate Grok’s responses because they address crucial issues that many geospatial users either overlook or take for granted, emphasizing the importance of proper documentation and associated metadata.
Key Resolution Examples:
- Specificity: “I will replace every ‘NAD83’ label that doesn’t specify an epoch or realization with something more precise.”
- Verification: “I will check the NGS Data Explorer / Datasheet for every benchmark or CORS I plan to use — before I use it.”
It is important to note that the AI chatbot assumes the modernized NSRS has already been adopted, which, as of January 2026, is not the case. This highlights that AI still has limitations and requires human oversight.
I challenge you to ask your own AI chatbot a similar, niche question related to your profession and compare its responses.
Beyond the specific technical corrections, Grok provided excellent general advice for any geospatial professional. Take, for example, action items 1 and 5 from its first response:
- Transition Workflows: Commit to fully updating software, processes, and datasets to align with the new terrestrial reference frames and geopotential datum.
- Measure Progress Monthly: Track the real-world impact of modernization by reviewing coordinate shifts, auditing legacy data, and planning for smoother integrations in upcoming projects.
Even though the modernized NSRS has not yet been officially adopted as of January 2026—with official release and FGCS approval expected later this year—following these steps now ensures you are prepared for the official transition when it occurs.
So, how do we put this advice into action? In my October 2025 GPS World Survey Scene newsletter, I highlighted the work of Dana J. Caccamise II, NGS regional geodetic advisor. Dana has developed vital guidance materials shared with federal agencies—such as the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) and professional organizations including National Society of Surveyors (NSPS), American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS), and American Association for Geodetic Surveying (AAGS).
To help your team prepare for the official transition later this year, I’ve included a box titled “Questions to Guide a Self-Assessment of Your Operation and Products.” These questions, originally featured in my October newsletter, are designed to ensure your organization is fully equipped to implement the new NSRS the moment it is adopted.
Questions to Guide a Self-Assessment of Your Operation and Products
- Are you generating or using geospatial data (or doing both)?
- If so, your workflows are likely dependent on geodetic control tied to one or more NGS products. The upcoming NSRS update will affect these dependencies. (See the box titled “List of NGS Products and Services.”)
- Do you know if your mission, project, or datasets depend on NGS products?
- Identifying whether and how your entity relies on NGS products is a critical first step in assessing potential impacts.
- What are your accuracy, precision, and shelf-life requirements for geospatial data?
- Understanding your mission’s specific data requirements ensures you can evaluate whether NSRS modernization will meet your operational needs without unnecessary adjustments. This should include plans to accommodate greater accuracy in the future.
- Do you know how your entity accesses and utilizes geospatial data?
- Are you obtaining it directly from NGS or indirectly through third-party vendors (e.g., RTN systems, GIS platforms, GNSS companies)?
- Many entities rely on geodetic control without realizing it. NGS’s foundational data and frameworks are often invisible and seamlessly embedded within the tools and services offered by third-party vendors, such as GIS platforms, survey equipment, and software providers. These vendors, in turn, depend heavily on NGS products like the NSRS to ensure their tools are accurate and functional. Understanding this indirect reliance is crucial for preparing your workflows and ensuring continuity as the NSRS is modernized.
- Where does your entity fit in with the geodetic workflow?
- Does your entity create integral products (e.g., GNSS data, Lidar data) on which other products depend?
- Evaluating these dependencies will help you determine the scope of NSRS modernization impacts.
- What are your project requirements for data accuracy and longevity?
- Assess whether your data accuracy thresholds and long-term usability align with the modernized NSRS.
- Have you evaluated workflows and identified potential impacts in areas affected by significant ground movement (e.g., regions with tectonic shifts, vertical land motion, and, most notably, subsidence)
- Identifying potential risk or disruption areas can guide prioritization and help mitigate impacts on critical operations.
In my October 2025 GPS World newsletter, I mentioned that the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) would be hosting a meeting with Federal geospatial agencies under the auspices of the Federal Geodetic Control Subcommittee (FGCS). The purpose is to increase awareness and coordinate the NSRS Modernization across the government.
While the original meeting scheduled for October 15, 2025, was canceled due to the Federal Government Shutdown, it has been officially rescheduled for Wednesday, January 21, 2026. This meeting will be critical for aligning agency engagement strategies and self-assessments ahead of the final adoption of the new datums.
As stated in my October 2025 newsletter, the primary objectives of this meeting are to:
- Increase awareness of the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) Modernization rollout schedule and engagement strategy, including self-assessment and interaction between official departmental working groups and an NGS point of contact.
- Within other Departments, connect decision-makers to those who accomplish NSRS modernization tasks and designate points of contact to interface with NGS capacity-building efforts.
- Share experiences and strategies among federal agencies concerning NSRS Modernization self-assessment and preparation.
- (New) Formally transition the foundational beta products (released in May 2025) from preliminary to final.
- Gather questions, discuss anticipated challenges, and identify opportunities to support each other through this transition.
The FGCS plays a central role in coordinating geodetic activities across the federal government, including the development of standards and the promotion of the use of authoritative geodetic control (e.g., CORS, geoids) to ensure that geospatial data is accurate, accessible, and interoperable, and to advance the modernization of NSRS across agencies and recommend the adoption of the modernized NSRS by FGDC as the official basis for geodetic control in the United States. It is my understanding that this meeting is open to the public (virtually) for listening and observation. The box titled “Federal Geodetic Control Subcommittee Meeting” provides the agenda of the January 21, 2026, meeting.
To join the meeting virtually, registration is required. You can find all the necessary details and a direct link to sign up in the box titled “Registration for the Virtual Attendance of the Meeting.”
Registration for the Virtual Attendance of the Meeting
NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey (NGS) invites you to the upcoming Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Federal Geodetic Control Subcommittee (FGCS) meeting.
- Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2026
- Time: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET
- Location: Hybrid meeting, offering both in-person attendance at NOAA Offices in Silver Spring, MD, and virtual participation via WebEx.
- If you plan to attend in person, please email ngs.fgcs@noaa.gov so we can ensure building access.
If you plan to attend virtually, here is the registration link: https://ngs-nos-noaa.webex.com/weblink/register/r53ab4d202de3bb20df12d9364862ff0f
As I mentioned in my October 2025 GPS World Survey Scene newsletter, several organizations have formed working groups to address the new NSRS. The National Society of Surveyors (NSPS) has released a story map to inform the professional surveying community and is developing guidance and case studies. The American Association for Geodetic Surveying (AAGS) is collaborating with NSPS. The American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) has prepared materials available on its website.
In October 2025, NSPS held its Fall meeting. The box titled “Excerpts from 2025 NSPS Fall Meeting Report: October 17, 2025” contains excerpts from the report provided by Richard Kleinmann, Wisconsin NSPS Director, on the working group’s activities being performed by the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) Professional Standards NSRS Modernization Subcommittee.
Excerpts from 2025 NSPS Fall Meeting Report: October 17, 2025
Submitted by: Richard Kleinmann PLS, Wisconsin NSPS Director
Subcommittee Purpose: To promote awareness, adoption, and readiness for the implementation of the Modernized National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) in cooperation with the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) and other geospatial groups.
Activities: NSPS leadership and the NSRS Modernization Subcommittee continue to work closely with NGS to promote awareness, adoption, and readiness for the new 2022 datums, which are expected to be approved sometime in 2026. Due to federal funding challenges occurring in 2025, NSPS felt it necessary to intensify its support of NGS and the modernization of the NSRS which was the genesis of this subcommittee.
As an outgrowth of interactions between NSPS & NGS during NGS quarterly meetings and at geospatial events such as the ESRI User Conference and Geo Week, the NSPS leadership team, and subsequently the NSRS Modernization Subcommittee, began developing a suite of resources — including an ArcGIS StoryMap with several resources useful for the transition. See the link for the NSPS ArcGIS Story map here: https://share.google/oOAIapPQnux5q8nwl
The NSRS Modernization Subcommittee is also working on a series of documents originally developed by Dana J. Caccamise of NGS intended to be used by Federal Agencies in the transition to the new datums. We are adapting the documents to change the “voice” from NGS to NSPS and the intended audience to state, regional, county and local agencies, as well as private practitioners, to help them transition smoothly to the modernized NSRS. At this point, the document package includes:
- Initial outreach tools (Email & Leadership Memo),
- Technical readiness resources (Self-Assessment Checklist & Survey)
- Briefing materials for agency coordination (Presentation Template)
These document resources are being developed with the hope to share them via NSPS social media outreach efforts and possibly a geospatial information “hub” shared by NSPS and other geospatial organizations.
Proposed Whitepapers/Use Case Reports: The intent of these whitepapers is to is to provide a somewhat higher-level view of how the transition to the new datums/frames can be accomplished by showing what tools are available and what to consider when designing a project approach. Our hope is to promote the adoption of the new datums and share the benefits of doing so. Basically, adopting a “be prepared, not scared” attitude. We are looking for people willing to share their solutions so others can benefit from their experience and be more likely to be early adopters. It is not our intent to develop detailed step by step recipes that can be blindly followed because every geographic region has their unique circumstances that need to be considered but the white papers will instead supply the foundation for them to confidently build a project approach that works in their situation.
Coordination with other working groups: NSPS is looking forward to coordinating with similar Working Groups that NGS has encouraged to be formed by the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) and the American Association for Geodetic Surveying (AAGS). There are several Task Forces and Committees formed on the state level that are also working on adoption and implementation issues specific to their states. Together, these efforts aim to build understanding, reduce uncertainty, and support the geospatial community’s successful implementation of the updated reference framework. NSPS and NGS have committed to having a significant presence at Geo Week in Denver, Colorado, on February 16-18, 2026.
As mentioned in the working group’s report, “As an outgrowth of interaction between NSPS & NGS during NGS quarterly meetings and at geospatial events such as the ESRI User Conference and Geo Week, the NSPS leadership team and subsequently the NSRS Modernization Subcommittee began developing a suite of resources — including an ArcGIS StoryMap with several resources useful for the transition. See the link for the NSPS ArcGIS Story map here: https://share.google/oOAIapPQnux5q8nwl.
The box titled “NSPS ArcGIS Story Map” offers a detailed look at this resource, which visually illustrates the impact and benefits of the upcoming NSRS modernization.
The website has five buttons:
- Overview
- What to Expect
- How to Prepare
- Resources
- Note to Users
The section titled “The Overview Section” details the essential information — who, what, where, when, and why — regarding the new, modernized NSRS. Additional information is available on the website.
Overview
WHO: The National Geodetic Survey (NGS), located within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States government. The NGS is responsible for defining, maintaining, and providing access to the country’s positioning infrastructure called the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS).
WHAT: Is updating the NSRS – horizontal (geometric, NAD 83) and vertical (geopotential, NAVD 88 and local island vertical datums PRVD02, USVI09, ASVD02, GUVD04, HAWAII – Local Tidal) geodetic datums, an effort that has been underway since 2007.
WHERE: The North American, Pacific, Caribbean, and Marianas plates.
WHEN: Now – rollout is underway. An updated Federal Register Notice was released on October 9, 2024. Alpha and Beta products are being released, with full replacement of the NSRS anticipated in 2026.
WHY: These datums have been in use since GPS was in its infancy – i.e., for decades, and there are known limitations that the new system addresses:
- NAD 83 is not as geocentrically defined as today’s positioning technologies demand, meaning not referenced to the center of Earth’s mass, by about 2.24 meters based on the latest international estimates. This is problematic when using Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), which orbit about and provide positions relative to the center of the Earth.
- NAD 83 grouped the North American and Caribbean plates in its definition. The updated system has broken those two plates out (because we now understand how to measure how the plates rotate individually) in addition to the Pacific and Marianas plates included in NAD 83, resulting in definitions for four Terrestrial Reference Frames (TRFs): NATRF2022, PATRF2022, MATRF2022, and CATRF2022.
- Continental drift and vertical land movement were not accounted for in the existing NSRS. Reference epochs (timestamps, for instance) for coordinates have been introduced for survey data to help us better understand movement or change over time.
- Based on current international geoid estimates, NAVD 88 is biased by approximately 1.5 meters and tilted by 1 meter coast-to-coast.
- There are currently multiple vertical datums. The new system will consist of one.
- NAD 83 and NAVD 88 were designed independently, resulting in reduced accuracy. In the new system, they were designed together, resulting in better integration and higher accuracy.
- GEOID 18 and previous models were hybrid models “warped” to match leveled benchmarks. GEOID2022 will be a more consistent and stable model as it is a purely gravimetric geoid model.
- Currently, both physical marks and continuously operating GNSS stations are relied upon for the existing NSRS. Physical marks degrade and are destroyed over time, negatively affecting height and position data. The modernized NSRS will rely exclusively on GNSS stations.
- State Plane Coordinate System 83 (SPCS 83) includes high levels of distortion for many areas. The modernized SPCS2022 minimizes distortion or scale error (the difference between ground and grid measurements) at the topographic surface rather than the reference ellipsoid surface, and is designed to minimize distortion in populated or high-use areas.
- An important change between SPCS 83 and the upcoming SPCS2022 is that only the international foot (1 foot = 0.3048 meter, exactly) will be supported, which differs from SPCS 83, with some states officially using the international foot while others use the U.S. survey foot (1 foot = 1200/3937 meters). This is consistent with the deprecation of the U.S. survey foot initiated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the end of December 2022.
The website makes it easy to spread the word about NSRS modernization. By clicking the share button on the right side of the page, you can access several ways to distribute the story map with colleagues or on social media.
The Sharing the NSPS ArcGIS Story Map includes more details — it even includes an embedded QR code that you can scan to open the map directly on your mobile device.
You can access it on your mobile device using the code below.
For those who prefer a physical copy or a clean PDF, the site also offers a print-friendly version. See the box titled “NSPS ArcGIS Story Map – Print View” for instructions on how to access it. This 15-page document provides all the same information as the interactive site in a consolidated, easy-to-read format.
As highlighted in the NSPS working group’s October report, both NSPS and NGS are committed to a major presence at Geo Week in Denver, Colorado, from February 16–18, 2026.
A key session, “NSRS Modernization – The Latest Technical Updates,” is currently scheduled for February 17, 2026, at 2:00 PM. For more details on the presentation and speakers, refer to NSRS Modernization – The Latest Technical Updates below.
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM MT
Bluebird Ballroom 1A
The National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) is undergoing a major transformation to provide more accurate, accessible, and consistent geospatial reference data across the United States. This session will present the latest technical updates on NSRS modernization, including advancements in geodetic reference frames, updated survey standards, and enhanced tools for positioning and measurement. Attendees will learn how these changes impact surveying, mapping, infrastructure, and engineering projects, and gain practical guidance for integrating modernized NSRS data into workflows. This session is essential for professionals seeking to stay current with the evolving national geospatial reference framework.https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/lfoster%40esri.com/FMfcgzQcqtcPbfppZtnTpZZWDMkQcXfk?projector=1&messagePartId=0.1
I wish you all a prosperous 2026 filled with wonderful new relationships, exciting opportunities, and continued happiness and success.
Happy New Year!
