Is there a name for the geographic coordinate 0,0?

Question

Is there a name for the latitude/longitude pair 0,0? On a graph, (0,0) is referred to as the "origin" but I'm not sure if that term also applies to the location 0,0 in cartography.

Answer 1

The point at (0°, 0°) is not generally given a name

All geographers, cartographers and surveyors ought to know the following, but I reference some sources anyway:

According to Matt Rosenberg

The point at which the equator (0° latitude) and the prime meridian (0° longitude) intersect has no real significance but it is in the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean, about 380 miles (611 kilometers) south of Ghana and 670 miles (1078 km) west of Gabon.

Also, according to wiki/Geographic_coordinate_system#Geographic_latitude_and_longitude

The 0° parallel of latitude is designated the equator ...

The meridian of the British Royal Observatory in Greenwich, a little east of London, England, is the international Prime Meridian ... [is the 0° meridian]

...

The grid thus formed by latitude and longitude is known as the "graticule". The zero/zero point of this system is located in the Gulf of Guinea about 625 km (390 mi) south of Tema, Ghana.

And at Fact Monster's Geography Glossary:

Zero degrees (0°) latitude is the equator ... Zero degrees longitude (0°) is called the prime meridian.

While "the origin" might well work – after all, that is what we call (0, 0) on a plane coordinate system – the point at (0°, 0°), on a spheroidal system, is not generally given a name. Certainly, none of the above (3 refs) give it a name, and until now, I'd never heard of Null Island.

On the other hand, when referring specifically to geodetic coordinate systems, the use of the term "origin" usually refers to one of three things, none of which are at (0°, 0°):

• the very center of the ellipsoid representing the Earth (see wiki/Geodetic_datum#Other_Earth-based_coordinate_systems or wiki/World_Geodetic_System#Main_parameters)
• the datum or place, on the surface, used to relate the mathematical model and the physical Earth (see wiki/Geodetic_datum#Reference_datums)
• the center a map projection or standard lines of a given projection, where the distortion is zero (see geography.hunter.cuny.edu/~jochen...Map coordinate systems/Projection parameters or georeference.org/doc/lambert_conformal_conic) _{NB: The center of a map projection could very well be at (0°, 0°) but it is not generally so.}

Answer 2

It's "there where all the data shows up when something goes wrong". At least that's how I call it, or how I often detect when something went wrong.

Others would call it Null Island, which is often used in a humorous way. For an occasional good laugh I would recommend some of the Null Island accounts on Twitter, such as Null Island Gang, Maptime Null Island, or Null Island.

But joking aside, as the Wikipedia article states:

Although intended humorously, the fiction has a serious purpose and is used by mapping systems to trap errors

As I stated above, when somthing ends up there, in most cases, it should not be there.

Answer 3

Yes, you still reference coordinates (0, 0) as the origin in respect to the coordinate system as a whole.

In essence, coordinate systems are grids in themselves. Therefore, terminology between the two are shared.

See how ArcGIS refers to the "Grid" location as the origin.

Answer 4

The term "Null Island" is used humorously to indicate the fictional island located at 0,0 or the buoy located there.

Answer 5

In connection with my work on a new maritime dictionary I have ascertained that the point where the equator intersects with meridian zero in the Atlantic Ocean has no name. I feel a point of this importance should have a name. Those I have been in contact with so far are of the same opinion. Below you will find the development of my investigations and the reasons for my choice of name:

1. The Point Has No Name:

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1.1 The Danish Language Council (Dansk Sprognævn) was the first organization I contacted. They informed me that according to their investigation the point had no name and that this surprised them.

1.2 The National Survey and Cadastre (Kort & Matrikelsyrelsen) informed me by e-mail SOE@kms.dk that they were of the opinion that the point did not have a name.

1.3 An e-mail from Copenhagen University (Københavns Universitet) Geography & Geology Hbm@geogr.ku.dk,informed me that the point did not have an official name. The university was wondering why the point had not been given a name.

1.4 An e-mail from The Royal Danish Embassy in Ghana,camchr@um.dk informed me that the Embassy had investigated the matter and been in contact with Mr. Foster Mensah, who is connected to the Centre for Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Services (CERSGIS), university of Ghana, he also had no knowledge of a name for this point. The Embassy found my pursuit of trying to obtain a name for this point interesting and my choice of name for it excellent.

1.5 An e-mail from Troels Kloevedal,troelskloevedal@yahoo.com , did not give a name for this point either. This man is one of the best known global navigators.

2. How Does a Point Get a Name?

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2.1 On contacting the National Survey and Cadastre (Kort & Matrikelsyrelsen), mail SOE@kms.dk , I was informed that there are strict rules on how objects in international waters are named. The organization dealing with this is IHO (International Hydrographic Organization). A private person must complete the required standard forms and send them to the Danish Maritime Administration (“Farvandsvaesnet”) who will then pass the application on to IHO.

2.2 I completed the forms and sent them to the Danish Maritime Administration (“Farvandsvaesnet”). A week later they informed me via e-mail LHA@frv.dk that when an unnamed point is involved then your goodselves, UNGEGN, are the organization to contact and not IHO.

2.3 The United Nation of Experts on Geographical Names was then contacted. Their email reply came from ChairUNGEGN, Prèsidente du GENUNG Helen KerfootHelen.Kerfoot@NRCan-RNCan.gc.ca Ms. Helen Kerfoot (email) stating that they were not in the position to make such a decision. They wrote:”although I would doubt that there is any process for formally naming grid points on the spherical coordinate system!” However, Ms. Helen Kerfoot was so kind to put me into contact with Senior Lecturer Mr. Peder Gammeltoft with the Department of Scandinavian Studies at the University of Copenhagen and Chair of the Nordic Division of UNGEGN. After Senior Lecturer Mr. Peder Gammeltoft at the Copenhagen University has been investigating this matter for another 2, 5 month he has now reached the same conclusion as Ms. Helen Kerfoot.

My suggestion for the name of this point is “Anker's Point” (please note the spelling) and my reasons for this choice are as follows:
(A) This point is basis for determining any point on our planet.
(B) The name ought to relate to something maritime. The anchoring of ship seems a fitting symbol.
(C) The name Anker is the Danish word for the English word anchor and happens to be the name of the person who first realized that this important point has no name and he has been moving force to get a name for it.
As no one seems to be able to decide what a given point of this nature could be called – any one can make that decision. And as stated I have decided that this particular point where the Meridian Zero Intersects with Equator, should be named ”Anker`s Point”. (please note the spelling).

I would like to emphasize my gratefulness towards all the help and effort I have received throughout this investigation.

Yours sincerely,
Anker W. Lauridsen,
Naval architect,
Strandkanten 7 st.th.
9300 Saeby,
Denmark.
ankerwl@gmail.com

http://www.ankerspoint.dk