Editing Geodesy (section)

{{Short description|Science of measuring the shape, orientation, and gravity of Earth}}
{{Geophysics}}
{{Geodesy}}
[[File:Geodetic survey instruments 07.jpg|thumb|right|A modern instrument for geodetic [[measurements]] using [[GNSS|satellites]]]]

'''Geodesy''' or '''geodetics'''<ref>{{Cite book |title=[[Cambridge English Dictionary]] |chapter=geodetics |access-date=2024-06-08 |chapter-url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/geodetics}}</ref> is the [[science]] of measuring and representing the [[Figure of the Earth|geometry]], [[Gravity of Earth|gravity]], and [[Earth's rotation|spatial orientation]] of the [[Earth]] in [[Relative change|temporally varying]] [[Three-dimensional space|3D]]. It is called [[planetary geodesy]] when studying other [[astronomical body|astronomical bodies]], such as [[planet]]s or [[Natural satellite|circumplanetary system]]s.<ref name="VK">{{Cite book |url=https://shop.elsevier.com/books/geodesy/vanicek/978-0-444-87775-8 |title=Geodesy: The Concepts |date=November 1, 1986 |publisher=[[Elsevier]] |isbn=978-0-444-87775-8 |editor-last=Vaníček |editor-first=Petr |editor-link=Petr Vaníček |edition=Second |pages=45–51 |chapter=Structure of Geodesy |doi=10.1016/B978-0-444-87775-8.50009-5 |quote=...{{nbsp}}geodesy was thought to occupy the space delimited by the following definition ... "the science of measuring and portraying the earth's surface." ... the new definition of geodesy ... "the discipline that deals with the measurement and representation of the earth, including its gravity field, in a three-dimensional time varying space." ... a virtually identical definition ... the inclusion of other celestial bodies and their respective gravity fields. |editor2-last=Krakiwsky |editor2-first=Edward J.}}</ref>

[[Geodynamics|Geodynamical]] phenomena, including [[crust (geology)|crustal]] motion, [[tide]]s, and [[polar motion]], can be studied by designing global and national [[Geodetic control network|control networks]], applying [[space geodesy]] and terrestrial geodetic techniques, and relying on [[Geodetic datum|datums]] and [[coordinate system]]s.

Geodetic job titles include '''geodesist''' and '''geodetic surveyor'''.<ref>{{cite web | website=Occupational Information Network |title=Geodetic Surveyors | date=2020-11-26 | url=https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/17-1022.01 | access-date=2022-01-28}}</ref>