GeoVector
✖
GeoVector
represents a horizontal two-dimensional vector of magnitude m and bearing α at geo location loc.
represents a three-dimensional vector of horizontal modulus m, bearing α and vertical component w at geo location loc.
represents a collection of vectors veci at respective geo locations loci.
Details


- GeoVector[…] can represent any vectorial magnitude on the surface of the Earth or any other celestial globe, like wind speed, magnetic field, scalar gradient, etc.
- GeoVector describes vector data using an orthonormal frame tangent to the reference ellipsoid at the given location.
- In GeoVector[loc{m,α}], the vector modulus m can be given as a numeric expression or numeric Quantity object with any units. The bearing α can be given as a number of degrees or a Quantity angle, measured clockwise from north. The vertical component is assumed to be zero.
- In GeoVector[loc{m,α,w}], the horizontal modulus m and the vertical component w can be quantities, but their units must be compatible.
- In GeoVector[locvec], the location loc can be given as a {lat,lon} pair in degrees, a geo Entity object or any geo location object with head GeoPosition or similar.
- GeoVector[GeoVectorENU[…]] converts a vector in GeoVectorENU form to GeoVector form, and similarly for GeoVectorXYZ and GeoGridVector objects.
- GeoGraphics[GeoVector[locvec]] takes loc into account for geo range estimation, but does not display a vector. Use GeoGraphics[GeoMarker[GeoVector[locvec],vmarker]] to display a vector at the given location, styled as specified by the vector marker vmarker.
- GeoVector[…][prop] gives the specified property of a geo vector.
- Possible properties include:
-
"Count" number of vectors in the GeoVector object "Data" first argument of the GeoVector object "Depth" vector depth: 0 for a single vector, 1 for a list of them, … "Location" location data of the GeoVector object "LocationDimension" number of coordinates for each position "LocationPackingType" Integer or Real if positions are packed; None otherwise "Vector" vector data of the GeoVector object "VectorDimension" number of components for each vector "VectorPackingType" Integer or Real if vectors are packed; None otherwise

Examples
open allclose allBasic Examples (3)Summary of the most common use cases
Take current wind data near your location:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-e3x7iw

Place a dart with such direction in a local map of your area:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-nc9eiv

Show the direction in a world map with a different geo projection, using a smaller dart:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-vbe8nk

Get data about the Earth's magnetic field vector at Anchorage:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-hppmkk

The horizontal component, declination and negative of the down component form a GeoVector object:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-fiofki

Transform that geo vector to its Cartesian form along the east-north-up axes:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-mda7xf

Transform back to cylindrical form:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-nl4eix

Draw arrows at random locations over the world, always pointing in the north direction:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-launwb


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-e3qyar

Use GeoVectorPlot for a smoother representation:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-eje8gr

Scope (8)Survey of the scope of standard use cases
Data Specification (4)
Specify the location of a geo vector as a {lat,lon} pair in degrees:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-13u4fo

Construct a horizontal velocity vector with 60 degrees bearing at Chicago:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-069j5

Rewrite the location as a geo position object with any head:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-9iitxm


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-nmj0q5


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-cijd7f

Anything that can be interpreted by GeoPosition can be used as a location:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-pg52d2


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-f1vi9f

Work with horizontal 2D vectors with a non-negative modulus of any unit dimension:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-t75s6b


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-9ap3il


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-676bga

Bearings can be given as a number of degrees or as a Quantity angle:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-8smank


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-zxtrna

Geo Vector Arrays (3)
Specify wind data simultaneously for several locations:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-b35xyi

The same input can also be expressed as:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-wor0p0

Represent those wind directions in a map:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-7iun6j

Generate a million random Cartesian vectors at respective random locations:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-cgd9hy

GeoVector can process them efficiently:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-iq7k9p

Transform back to their Cartesian form:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-4ik0xq

Check that the difference is just numerical error:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-zuzias

Take the locations of the capital cities of the UN countries:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-sd1i7m


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-zv51pe

Construct random vectors at those locations:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-eb9yr5

Convert to local Cartesian form:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-pmxtyf


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-bzxima

Data Extraction (1)
A horizontal velocity vector with 60 degrees bearing at Chicago:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-1yszhe

Extract the location of the geo vector:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-pve0te

Extract the vector data from the geo vector:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-m5q56t


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-bpa56o


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-gzjluk


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-fhr1o5

Applications (1)Sample problems that can be solved with this function
Get vector field data for 100 random locations over Canada:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-kqv0ee

They roughly point north, but there is some variability:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-zhbsv6

Represent the horizontal part of those vectors in a cylindrical projection, for which the y axis points toward true north:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-5byfmg

Properties & Relations (4)Properties of the function, and connections to other functions
The same vector data at different locations represents different 3D vectors:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-x90h0g

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-n4t1ks

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-uvv6a1

Identical vertical vectors at antipodal locations are opposite each other as 3D vectors:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-mfaxzw


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-qshzlq


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-lwdz90


https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-2eqnho

This is an acceleration vector at the location of the Eiffel Tower:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-czpbw9

Convert into a vector in the Mercator projection:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-8gwpn2

Transform back to GeoVector form:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-cj059s

Interactive Examples (2)Examples with interactive outputs
Compare a geo vector and a geodesic starting from the same location with the same azimuth:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-nh2ow9

Draw the north and east directions at a chosen location, and a vector at that same location:

https://wolfram.com/xid/0tz1ml8q-giw1xp

Wolfram Research (2019), GeoVector, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/GeoVector.html.
Text
Wolfram Research (2019), GeoVector, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/GeoVector.html.
Wolfram Research (2019), GeoVector, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/GeoVector.html.
CMS
Wolfram Language. 2019. "GeoVector." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/GeoVector.html.
Wolfram Language. 2019. "GeoVector." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/GeoVector.html.
APA
Wolfram Language. (2019). GeoVector. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/GeoVector.html
Wolfram Language. (2019). GeoVector. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/GeoVector.html
BibTeX
@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_geovector, author="Wolfram Research", title="{GeoVector}", year="2019", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/GeoVector.html}", note=[Accessed: 09-July-2025
]}
BibLaTeX
@online{reference.wolfram_2025_geovector, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={GeoVector}, year={2019}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/GeoVector.html}, note=[Accessed: 09-July-2025
]}