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Does anyone know how to calculate elevation using lattitude and longitude. By calculation I mean formula to calculate it manually. Other than using lattitude and longitude is there any other way to find elevation from any other parameters ?

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  1. To be more specific regarding my above question other than using Elevation API provided by Google is there any way we could calculate elevation using any data from GPS of device.

  2. Also Is it possible to calculate elevation from altitude..?

laalto
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suja
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    You need to understand the difference between two dimensions and three. Elevation is height; latitude and longitude are along the surface of the sphere. – SLaks Nov 26 '13 at 04:26
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    How will your formula know how tall Mount Everest is? – SLaks Nov 26 '13 at 04:26
  • Use the Google Elevation API to query for it. It's not possible through the steps you listed. –  Nov 26 '13 at 04:29
  • @SLaks My question is is it possible to do so or not..? and your not helping it in anyway.. SO is supposed to be helping/supporting if you have sound knowledge about what being asked. I appreciate your effort for answering but this doesn't help in any way. – suja Nov 26 '13 at 04:50
  • @pallandt I appreciate your effort. yes I know abot Elevation api which requires a internet connection but am asked to check if it is possble to find elevation by other means. – suja Nov 26 '13 at 04:52
  • @suja, SLaks was very helpful. His is the right answer. You're the one that's off base here, both in your poor understanding of the problem and your comment. – duffymo Nov 26 '13 at 10:10
  • @suja: You are expected to understand the basic meanings of the terms you're asking about. – SLaks Nov 26 '13 at 15:14

2 Answers2

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No, it is not possible to derive elevation from altitude or longitude or latitude or any combination of those things.

Robert Levy
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  • r u sure about it.. ? If yes then do you have any idea how do normally by calculation elevation is found..? thanks for the answer – suja Nov 26 '13 at 04:53
  • its usually found via going out (via foot, boat, satellite, etc) and measuring... or by looking the data up in a map made by somebody else who did all the hard work of measuring – Robert Levy Nov 26 '13 at 05:36
  • so you re saying other than Elevation api you cannot find elevation from a device. – suja Nov 26 '13 at 06:07
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    the gps on a device is able to determine elevation (because it connects to enough satellites to triangulate your location in 3d, not just 2d lat/long). think of it this way: just because i know where you live, that doesn't mean i know how tall you are... i'd have to use a tool of some to physically measure your height – Robert Levy Nov 26 '13 at 06:12
  • No different from SLaks comment above. You have the gall to ask "Are you sure?" Voting your question down; voting to close. – duffymo Nov 26 '13 at 10:11
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There are different ways to look at this problem, and I wouldn't say it is impossible.

If the surface elevation model is represented by an equation, such as with spherical harmonics, you could compute the elevation from this model, given a tuple of latitude and longitude.

You could also precompute the elevations on an appropriately sized grid and look up the values as is done in this answer.

HRJ
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