Glossary
There are many words, phrases and acronyms used in hydrographic applications. Below you can find a concise list of these as well as links to other related glossaries of Hydrographic terms.
Glossary of Acronyms and Abbreviations
| ACI | Australian Chart Index |
| ACT | Australian Capital Territory |
| ADF | Australian Defence Force |
| AGD | Australian Geodetic Datum |
| AHO | Australian Hydrographic Office |
| AHS | Australian Hydrographic Service |
| AMSA | Australian Maritime Safety Authority |
| ANTT | Australian National Tide Tables |
| ARCS | Admiralty Raster Chart Service |
| dGPS | Differential Global Positioning System |
| ECDIS | Electronic Chart Display and Information System |
| ECS | Electronic Chart Systems |
| ENC | Electronic Navigational Chart |
| FAQ | Frequently Asked Questions |
| GDA | Geocentric Datum of Australia |
| GeoTIFF | Geographic Tagged Image File Format - The Australian Hydrographic Office produces charts in GeoTIFF format known as AusGeoTIFF. |
| GPS | Global Positioning System. A positioning system calculated from orbiting satellites. |
| HAT | Highest Astronomical Tide. A tidal datum. The highest level of water which can be predicted to occur under any combination of astronomical conditions. |
| HCRF | Hydrographic Chart Raster Format. |
| HI | Hydrographic Instruction |
| Hydrographic Note | A Hydrographic Note is a form used to notify the Hydrographer, when new or suspected dangers to navigation are discovered, changes observed in aids to navigation, or corrections to publications are seen to be necessary. |
| HS | Hydrographic Ship |
| IC-ENC | International Centre for ENCs - An association of national hydrographic organisations for the distribution of official Electronic Navigational Charts. The IC-ENC is a Regional ENC (or RENC). |
| IHB | International Hydrographic Bureau - The headquarters of the International Hydrographic Organization. |
| IHO | International Hydrographic Organization - The organisation which coordinates world hydrographic charting policy and standards. |
| IMO | International Maritime Organization - The United Nations organisation which coordinates safety policy and standards for world shipping. |
| ISLW | Indian Springs Low Water. A tidal datum originated by Sir G. Darwin when investigating tides of India. An elevation depressed below mean sea level by the amount equal to the sum of amplitudes of the four main harmonic constituents: M2, S2, K1 and O1. |
| IT | Information Technology |
| LADS | Laser Airborne Depth Sounder |
| LAT | Lowest Astronomical Tide - A tidal datum. The lowest tide level, which can be predicted to occur under average meteorological conditions and under any combination of astronomical conditions. Increasingly used as chart datum, for example,. for all new Australian charts. |
| MGA | The Maritime Gazetteer of Australia |
| MGI | Military Geospatial Information |
| NSW | New South Wales |
| NT | Northern Territory |
| NtM | Notices to Mariners |
| PNG | Papua New Guinea |
| QLD | Queensland |
| RAN | Royal Australian Navy |
| RCDS | Raster Chart Display System |
| S57 | The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) data format and specification which governs the content, creation and display of Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs). |
| S63 | IHO data protection standard for the protection of ENC information. |
| SA | South Australia |
| SMB | Survey Motor Boat |
| SML | Survey Motor Launch |
| SOLAS | Safety of Life at Sea Convention - The principal international convention regulating ship safety. Administered by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). |
| UT | Universal Time - Also known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and Zulu Time (military term). |
| TAS | Tasmania |
| VIC | Victoria |
| VTS System | Vessel Traffic Services System |
| WA | Western Australia |
| WEND | World-wide Electronic Navigational Chart Database |
| WGS | World Geodetic System |