Continental Drift

David G · Aug 15, 2015

The North American continent is drifting 2-4 inches to the WSW every year, I always wondered if this affected our GPS location. Are planter GPS systems compensated for this?

Bob Harvey · Aug 15, 2015

Does this mean we are going to crash into Australia ?

Bob Bancroft · Aug 15, 2015

Good question. I guess, supposedly, you can store info. on a field, and go back in the future and follow the same paths. What a joke. I can't get the blasted #$%& auto steer to work right in the same field on the same day!

David G · Aug 15, 2015

Not to bring up a global warming debate, I always wondered if people took wobble in the earth into the equation.

I found this:

The motion of the Earth's axis has two parts -- precession and nutation. Precession is the motion of the axis in a large circle over a roughly 26,000 year period. Nutation is a harmonic with a roughly 18.6-year period, superimposed on top of the precession circle.

Although the axis moves, the equator always remains fixed with respect to the axis. The equator does move with respect to the ecliptic, but since GPS coordinates are referenced to an Earth-centered, Earth-fixed plane, this movement of the equator with respect to the Earth-Sun line is transparent to GPS.

NGA issues a new map datum every 5-7 years. This is simply a function of measurements being refined enough to warrant the issue of a new datum. It's not tied to any natural event.

David G · Aug 15, 2015

Start practicing "Gday"

Heyseed · Aug 15, 2015

I know that plate is moving but everything I have read says 1 to 1.5 inches WSW per year.

Goose · Aug 15, 2015

Per a geology class I had in college, in 15 million years Los Angeles will be on the south edge of San Francisco, from drift up the San Andreas fault.

donjr · Aug 15, 2015

As long as our gubmint insests on lunchin missels frum Cope Cantravelwell in Flordiay theys gonner be a westwerd movement. Whenever they fire one of them thangs off, it puts so much force on tha coast thet it pusshes it westwerd as tha missel is goins easterd. Simple sighance to the rescuew agin. Even a blond kin figger it out.....

fixerupper · Aug 15, 2015

If a person has RTK I would think he could make repeatable passes in the same field next year whether the continent drifted or not. Without RTK the satellites drift anyway so continental drift would be a mute point in this case. Auto steer without RTK has variable accuracy throughout the day and can be frustrating if used for planting. Sometimes it runs too far to the left or right and sometimes it is spot on. It seems to be more accurate after dark, or maybe by then I am too tired to care. LOL

jeffcat · Aug 16, 2015

Ya need to put a bullet about 1 1/2 under the front of his shell. You see these suckers take a poor little duckling down. Saw one take out a full size mallard.

Traditional Farmer · Aug 16, 2015

Those old snappers are about the worst thing you can have in a pond,plus they are very
good eating.

Continental Drift

David G

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Bob Harvey

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Bob Bancroft

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David G

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David G

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Heyseed

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Goose

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donjr

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fixerupper

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jeffcat

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Traditional Farmer

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