The Global Positioning System (GPS)
is a navigation and precise-positioning tool. Developed by the
Department of
Defense in 1973, GPS was originally designed to assist
soldiers and military vehicles, planes, and ships in accurately
determining their locations world-wide. Today, the uses of GPS have
extended to include both the commercial and scientific worlds.
Commercially, GPS is used as a navigation and positioning tool in
airplanes, boats, cars, and for almost all outdoor recreational
activities such as hiking, fishing, and kayaking. In the scientific
community, GPS plays an important role in the earth sciences.
Meteorologists use it for weather forecasting and global climate
studies; and geologists can use it as a highly accurate method of
surveying and in earthquake studies to measure tectonic motions
during and in between earthquakes.
