Length: 5 hours, 1 minute

Audience: For those interested in understanding the International Great Lakes Datum (IGLD), Low Water Datum (LWD), water level data collection, and their impacts on key applications.

This recording is from a virtual workshop hosted in collaboration with NOAA Offices, National Geodetic Survey (NGS), Canadian Geodetic Survey (CGS), ECCC, CHS, and USACE. It features expert presentations from various organizations, offering insights into these critical subjects. The workshop explores key topics related to the IGLD and its practical applications, including:

• Overview of IGLD – Jacob Heck (NGS), Michael Craymer (CGS) (Starts at 00:05:55])
• Moving To and Working in the IGLD – Michael Craymer (CGS), Jacob Heck (NGS) (Starts at 00:34:09)
• IGLD 2020: Water Level Data Collection – Sierra Davis (NOAA CO-OPS), Khaleel Arfeen (CHS) (Starts at 01:05:45)
• IGLD Breakout Session (Starts at 01:24:00)
• Updating Low Water Datum in the Great Lakes – Derrick Beach (ECCC), Laura Rear McLaughlin (NOAA CO-OPS), Chris Zervas (NOAA CO-OPS), Terese Herron (CHS) (Starts at 02:25:05)
• Impacts of Datum Changes on Nautical Charts – Travis Newman (NOAA OCS), Mina Foroutan (CHS) (Starts at 02:51:37)
• Low Water Datum Update: Impacts to Great Lakes Navigation and Channel Maintenance – Esther Johnson (USACE), Cindy Jarema (USACE), Jennifer Marche (CCG), Joffrey Dufour (CCG) (Starts at 03:21:30)
• Low Water Datum Breakout Session (Starts at 4:09:25)

Whether you are directly impacted by the NTDE updates or simply interested in the science of tidal datums, this comprehensive session offers valuable insights from experts in the field.

Length: 1 hour, 4 minutes

Audience: For those seeking an introduction to vertical datums and upcoming changes. No prior knowledge of this topic is necessary.

This webinar provides an overview of vertical datums, essential references for determining elevations, and the significant updates coming in the next few years. Presented by Jacob Heck, Laura Rear McLaughlin, Terese Herron, and Michael Michalski, the session covers:

• The replacement of the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88) with the North American-Pacific Geopotential Datum of 2022 (NAPGD2022).
• Updates to the International Great Lakes Datum (IGLD), used to reference water levels in the Great Lakes and connecting channels.
• Changes to the National Tidal Datum Epoch (NTDE), which references water levels along the U.S. coastline.

Length: 1 hour

Audience: Professionals who rely on tidal datums including engineers, environmental planners, navigation experts, and floodplain managers

In the next couple of years, CO-OPS, in collaboration with partners in the U.S. and Canada, will release an update to the International Great Lakes Datum called IGLD (2020). The IGLD is the official water level reference system for the Great Lakes, their connecting waterways, and the St. Lawrence River. The datum is needed for safe marine navigation, water level regulation, surveying, mapping, shoreline use planning and restoration, and more. This training video focuses on the details of the IGLD (2020) update, including the importance and applications of datums in the Great Lakes region, the technical processes involved in defining IGLD (2020), and the binational collaboration required between the U.S. and Canada to successfully complete the update.

Updates to the IGLD are also being conducted in line with efforts to modernize the National Spatial Reference System, or NSRS, by NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey. The training briefly touches on the relationship between IGLD (2020) and the North American-Pacific Geopotential Datum of 2022 (NAPGD2022), a new geoid-based vertical reference system that will replace the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88).

For the most recent updates, visit the International Great Lakes Datum page, or email tide.predictions@noaa.gov.