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    • NOAA Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) Network

    Metadata Updated: July 24, 2025

    The National Geodetic Survey (NGS), an office of NOAA's National Ocean Service, manages a network of Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) that provide Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data consisting of carrier phase and code range measurements in support of three dimensional positioning, meteorology, space weather, and geophysical applications throughout the United States, its territories, and a few foreign countries. This is called the NOAA CORS Network (NCN) Surveyors, GIS users, engineers, scientists, and the public at large that collect GPS or GNSS data can use NOAA's CORS data to improve the precision of their positions. CORS enhanced post-processed coordinates approach a few centimeters relative to the National Spatial Reference System, both horizontally and vertically. The NCN network is a multi-purpose cooperative endeavor involving government, academic, and private organizations. The sites are independently owned and operated. Each agency shares their data with NGS, and NGS in turn analyzes and distributes the data free of charge. As of February 2025, the NCN provides data from approximately 2,000 active sites. NCN data holdings to include decommissioned stations, comes to a total of 2,908 sites. These sites are contributed by over 230 different organizations, and the network continues to expand.

    The DOI referenced is for the archived NCN data holdings.

    Access & Use Information

    License: No license information was provided. If this work was prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person's official duties it is considered a U.S. Government Work.

    Downloads & Resources

    Dates

    Metadata Date July 18, 2025
    Metadata Created Date October 31, 2024
    Metadata Updated Date July 24, 2025
    Reference Date(s) April 21, 1994 (creation), February 11, 2025 (revision), April 21, 1994 (publication)
    Frequency Of Update continual

    Metadata Source

    Harvested from NOS NGS

    Other Data Resources

    Graphic Preview

    NOAA small logo

    Additional Metadata

    Resource Type Dataset
    Metadata Date July 18, 2025
    Metadata Created Date October 31, 2024
    Metadata Updated Date July 24, 2025
    Reference Date(s) April 21, 1994 (creation), February 11, 2025 (revision), April 21, 1994 (publication)
    Responsible Party NGS Communications and Outreach Branch (Point of Contact, Custodian)
    Contact Email
    Guid gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:39662
    Access Constraints Cite As: National Geodetic Survey, [Date of Access]: NOAA Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) Network [Data Date Range], https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/39662., Access Constraints: None, Use Constraints: While every effort has been made to ensure that these data are accurate and reliable within the limits of the current state of the art, NOAA cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in the data, nor as a result of the failure of the data to function on a particular system. NOAA makes no warranty, expressed or implied, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty., Distribution Liability: Use at your own risk
    Bbox East Long 180
    Bbox North Lat 73
    Bbox South Lat -50
    Bbox West Long -180
    Coupled Resource
    Frequency Of Update continual
    Graphic Preview Description NOAA small logo
    Graphic Preview File https://geodesy.noaa.gov/CORS/images/baldnoaa.gif
    Harvest Object Id 362cfc29-02fa-46e4-bac5-217c73779cc3
    Harvest Source Id ea6e63e6-96bb-4fb1-a72f-b7af08062c83
    Harvest Source Title NOS NGS
    Licence NOAA provides no warranty, nor accepts any liability occurring from any incomplete, incorrect, or misleading data, or from any incorrect, incomplete, or misleading use of the data. It is the responsibility of the user to determine whether or not the data is suitable for the intended purpose.
    Lineage NCN data is processed by NGS operations at an hourly or daily cadence, dependent a particular stations' retrieval frequency. Hourly data is deleted from Partners are deleted two days after daily file is created. Hourly data from NGS-owned stations are kept. NCN data is harvested daily by NESDIS/NCEI, and then archived after a 30-day period, and distributed via the NCEI archive at the Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System (CLASS).
    Metadata Language eng
    Metadata Type geospatial
    Old Spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[-180.0, -50.0], [180.0, -50.0], [180.0, 73.0], [-180.0, 73.0], [-180.0, -50.0]]]}
    Progress onGoing
    Spatial Data Service Type
    Spatial Reference System EPSG::6319
    Spatial Harvester True
    Temporal Extent Begin 1994-04-21

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