PZ-90 (Parameters of the Earth Ellipsoid 1990 | EPSG:4744)

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Introduction

PZ-90 (Parameters of the Earth Ellipsoid 1990) is a georeferenced coordinate system developed by Russia for its global navigation satellite system GLONASS.

Its official name is “Parametry Zemli 1990”, which is similar to WGS-84 used by GPS and is used as a reference frame for satellite positioning. The first version of this coordinate system was developed in 1990, and has since undergone several revisions to improve geodetic accuracy and time correlation. The most widely used version is PZ-90.11, which has greatly improved compatibility with the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF).

Coordinate System Composition

Point data of the PZ-90 coordinate system usually contains the following information:

Point name (name or identification code)
X coordinate (X axis in the geocentric rectangular coordinate system, in meters)
Y coordinate (same as Y axis)
Z coordinate (same as Z axis)
Time (epoch)
Version information (such as: PZ-90, PZ-90.02, PZ-90.11, etc.)
(Optional) Velocity vector (X, Y, Z direction) or accuracy information (σ value)

Pros

Highly compatible with GLONASS: The PZ-90 coordinate system is optimized for GLONASS, Russia’s satellite positioning system, and can achieve high-precision positioning.
The latest version has enhanced consistency with international standards: In particular, PZ-90.11, its deviation from ITRF is controlled within a few centimeters, which improves compatibility with international common coordinate systems.
Suitable for space information processing other than satellite positioning: As a geocentric coordinate system, PZ-90 has good stability, so it is a trustworthy reference frame in aerospace and military applications.

Cons

Strong geographical restrictions: PZ-90 is mainly used in Russia or military-related scenarios, and has limited compatibility with commercial or civilian positioning systems in other countries.
Scarce public information: Compared with WGS-84 or ITRF, there are fewer technical documents and tools about PZ-90, and civilian use requires certain professional knowledge.
Incomplete compatibility between versions: With the gradual revision from PZ-90 → PZ-90.02 → PZ-90.11, conversion processing between versions has become indispensable.

Application Scenario

PZ-90 is mainly used for positioning, navigation, map making and other tasks in the Russian government and military agencies. It is also used in civil measurement equipment supporting GLONASS, aerospace and polar observation. Especially after the release of PZ-90.11, due to its high consistency with ITRF, it began to be adopted in the joint operation of multi-system GNSS (such as GLONASS+GPS+Galileo, etc.), achieving higher system compatibility. In addition, it is also used for geometric correction of satellite payload sensor data and position reference frame in military GIS.

Example

Using 100 sets of solution results from JPL, the distribution of 16 common stations between ITR97 and PZ-90 realizations is cumulatively analyzed.

The station target being analyzed.