The distance from a given point of interest to the center of Earth is called the geocentric distance, R = ( X 2 + Y 2 + Z 2) 0.5, which is a generalization of the geocentric radius, R 0, not restricted to points on the reference ellipsoid surface. Its most common use is in tracking the orbits of satellites and in satellite navigation systems for measuring locations on the surface of the Earth, but it is also used in applications such as tracking crustal motion. The Earth-centered, Earth-fixed coordinate system (acronym ECEF), also known as the geocentric coordinate system, is a cartesian spatial reference system that represents locations in the vicinity of the Earth (including its surface, interior, atmosphere, and surrounding outer space) as X, Y, and Z measurements from its center of mass.
