Which set of coordinates represents a location expressed as latitude, longitude, and height above the reference ellipsoid?

• A. Topocentric coordinates.
• B. ECEF coordinates.
• C. Geodetic coordinates.
• D. ENU coordinates.

Answer: (C)

Latitude, longitude, and height above the reference ellipsoid describe geodetic coordinates. This trio combines angular positions (lat and lon) with an ellipsoidal height that measures distance above the smooth ellipsoid used to model Earth’s shape, not above sea level. That combination is the standard way to specify a location in geodesy and GNSS systems.

The other systems describe different frames: ECEF uses Cartesian X, Y, Z coordinates with the Earth’s center as origin; ENU gives local East-North-Up coordinates relative to a reference point (a local tangent plane); topocentric coordinates are a local frame tied to an observer, often used for directions like azimuth and elevation rather than a global position.