Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Introduction to Global Positioning System01:30

Introduction to Global Positioning System

653
The Global Positioning System (GPS) revolutionized positioning on Earth, providing precise location data through satellite ranging. The GPS system was developed in 1978 by the U.S. Department of Defense  for military use, and it became available for civilian applications in 1983, transforming fields including navigation, fleet management, and time synchronization for telecommunications systems.GPS consists of satellites in medium Earth orbit, about 20,200 kilometers above the surface,...
653
Errors in Global Positioning System01:26

Errors in Global Positioning System

380
Global Positioning System (GPS) technology has revolutionized navigation and positioning, but its accuracy is often compromised by various errors. These errors, stemming from environmental, satellite, and receiver-related factors, require careful mitigation to ensure reliable performance across applications.Atmospheric ErrorsGPS signals travel through the Earth’s ionosphere and troposphere, introducing delays which affect accuracy. The ionosphere is strongly influenced by charged particles,...
380
Field Application of Global Positioning System01:28

Field Application of Global Positioning System

341
The Global Positioning System (GPS) has become an indispensable tool in fieldwork, offering unparalleled precision and efficiency for surveying, navigation, and infrastructure development. By harnessing signals from a constellation of satellites, GPS receivers determine the location of objects with remarkable speed and accuracy, often completing calculations within a second.Advantages of Modern GPS TechnologyContemporary GPS receivers are designed to meet the practical demands of field...
341
Types of Global Positioning System Surveys01:30

Types of Global Positioning System Surveys

406
GPS surveying methods vary in application, accuracy, and data collection techniques, catering to diverse surveying and mapping needs. Static GPS, kinematic GPS, and real-time kinematic (RTK) surveying are widely used. Each technique offers distinct advantages.Static GPS involves placing one receiver at a known reference point and another at the target point. It collects exact positional data by observing multiple satellite ranges over an extended period, achieving centimeter-level accuracy for...
406
Space-Time Curvature and the General Theory of Relativity01:17

Space-Time Curvature and the General Theory of Relativity

4.8K
In 1905, Albert Einstein published his special theory of relativity. According to this theory, no matter in the universe can attain a speed greater than the speed of light in a vacuum, which thus serves as the speed limit of the universe.
This has been verified in many experiments. However, space and time are no longer absolute. Two observers moving relative to one another do not agree on the length of objects or the passage of time. The mechanics of objects based on Newton's laws of...
4.8K
Geoid and Ellipsoid01:28

Geoid and Ellipsoid

910
The Earth's shape is best described as an ellipsoid, a slightly flattened sphere created by rotating an ellipse around its minor axis. This flattening results in the polar axis being about 21 kilometers shorter than the equatorial axis. In contrast, the geoid represents the Earth's gravitational shape and aligns with the mean sea level (MSL). The geoid is an irregular equipotential surface where gravity is perpendicular at every point. Variations in Earth's mass distribution cause geoid...
910

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Incorporating an Optical Clock Into a Time Scale.

IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control·2017
Same author

Confidence Estimates in Simulation of Phase Noise or Spectral Density.

IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control·2017
Same author

Simulations of the Hadamard Variance: Probability Distributions and Confidence Intervals.

IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control·2015
Same author

Probability distributions and confidence intervals for simulated power law noise.

IEEE transactions on ultrasonics, ferroelectrics, and frequency control·2015
Same author

Topographic-pattern-induced homeotropic alignment of liquid crystals.

Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics·2009
Same author

Relativistic effects in earth-orbiting Doppler lidar return signals.

Journal of the Optical Society of America. A, Optics, image science, and vision·2007
Same journal

Primordial black holes and their gravitational-wave signatures.

Living reviews in relativity·2025
Same journal

Solvable models of quantum black holes: a review on Jackiw-Teitelboim gravity.

Living reviews in relativity·2023
Same journal

Electromagnetic counterparts to massive black-hole mergers.

Living reviews in relativity·2022
Same journal

Prospects for observing and localizing gravitational-wave transients with Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo and KAGRA.

Living reviews in relativity·2020
Same journal

Kilonovae.

Living reviews in relativity·2019
Same journal

Erratum: Publisher Correction: Interferometer techniques for gravitational-wave detection.

Living reviews in relativity·2019
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 8, 2026

Continuous-Wave Propagation Channel-Sounding Measurement System - Testing, Verification, and Measurements
09:36

Continuous-Wave Propagation Channel-Sounding Measurement System - Testing, Verification, and Measurements

Published on: June 25, 2021

3.6K

Relativity in the Global Positioning System.

Neil Ashby1

  • 1Dept. of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0390 USA.

Living Reviews in Relativity
|February 7, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) relies on accounting for relativistic effects, like time dilation and gravitational shifts, for accurate navigation. Without understanding Einstein's theories, GPS would fail to provide precise positioning.

More Related Videos

Using Pharmacological Manipulation and High-precision Radio Telemetry to Study the Spatial Cognition in Free-ranging Animals
08:28

Using Pharmacological Manipulation and High-precision Radio Telemetry to Study the Spatial Cognition in Free-ranging Animals

Published on: November 6, 2016

7.1K
Using a Real-Time Locating System to Measure Walking Activity Associated with Wandering Behaviors Among Institutionalized Older Adults
04:13

Using a Real-Time Locating System to Measure Walking Activity Associated with Wandering Behaviors Among Institutionalized Older Adults

Published on: February 8, 2019

7.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 8, 2026

Continuous-Wave Propagation Channel-Sounding Measurement System - Testing, Verification, and Measurements
09:36

Continuous-Wave Propagation Channel-Sounding Measurement System - Testing, Verification, and Measurements

Published on: June 25, 2021

3.6K
Using Pharmacological Manipulation and High-precision Radio Telemetry to Study the Spatial Cognition in Free-ranging Animals
08:28

Using Pharmacological Manipulation and High-precision Radio Telemetry to Study the Spatial Cognition in Free-ranging Animals

Published on: November 6, 2016

7.1K
Using a Real-Time Locating System to Measure Walking Activity Associated with Wandering Behaviors Among Institutionalized Older Adults
04:13

Using a Real-Time Locating System to Measure Walking Activity Associated with Wandering Behaviors Among Institutionalized Older Adults

Published on: February 8, 2019

7.3K

Area of Science:

  • Physics
  • Geodesy
  • Astrophysics

Background:

  • Global Positioning System (GPS) utilizes atomic clocks for precise positioning.
  • Relativistic effects, including gravitational and motional frequency shifts, significantly impact GPS accuracy.
  • Failure to account for these relativistic effects would render GPS inoperable.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explain the foundational principles of special and general relativity crucial for GPS navigation.
  • To detail the specific relativistic effects that must be considered in GPS.
  • To discuss experimental validations and applications of relativity within GPS.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis of relativistic principles applied to GPS.
  • Identification and explanation of key relativistic effects: constancy of light speed, equivalence principle, Sagnac effect, time dilation, gravitational frequency shifts, and relativity of synchronization.
  • Review of experimental tests using GPS, including satellite-based observations.

Main Results:

  • Demonstration that numerous relativistic effects are essential for GPS functionality.
  • Identification of satellite orbit adjustments causing frequency jumps as relativistic phenomena.
  • Validation of relativistic theories through GPS experimental data.

Conclusions:

  • Relativity is fundamental to the operational accuracy of the Global Positioning System.
  • GPS serves as a practical experimental platform for testing and observing relativistic effects.
  • Understanding relativistic effects in GPS enables advanced applications and orbit adjustments.