---
title: "Australia Moves to Update Location; Shifted 1.5 Meters in Just 22 Years"
description: "Australia's location has been moved by 1.5 meters since records were last updated in 1994. In line with this, they are updating their geographic information to be synchronized with international data to make sure services and new technology that rely on geolocation would be accurate."
date: "2016-07-31"
modified: "2016-07-31"
authors:
  - name: "Cecille De Jesus"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/cecille"
url: "https://futurism.com/australia-moves-to-update-location-shifted-1-5-meters-in-just-22-years"
categories:
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "australia"
  - "geolocation"
  - "plate tectonics"
---

# Australia Moves to Update Location; Shifted 1.5 Meters in Just 22 Years

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/A-GettyImages.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: \<a href="http://www.cnet.com/" target="\_blank"\>Getty Images\</a\>\</em\>*

Shifts in [tectonic plates](<https://futurism.com/continental-drift-theory-2>) cause Australia to move around [7 centimeters](<http://www.australianscience.com.au/news/breaking-plates/>) every year, to the north and a little to the east. This shift has caused the country, which sits on the fastest moving continental plate on Earth, to accumulate a 1.5-meter misalignment since their geographical records were last updated in 1994.

Geoscientists say that if it goes unchecked, map locations, such as that of the [Sydney Opera House](<http://www.sydney.com/destinations/sydney/sydney-city/sydney-harbour/opera-house?nst=0&gclid=CjwKEAjww_a8BRDB-O-OqZb_vRASJAA9yrc5kakFFN3iEdM5J2CUNXA8rPAwEITOSZDwCpH-RuIhThoCn0bw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds>), will be off the mark by nearly two meters by 2020.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Erw64nXtNcE

Because of this, government agency Geoscience Australia is revising its longitude and latitude to match their new location accurately and fix the discrepancy with global satellite navigation systems. The country’s national coordinate system [Geocentric Datum of Australia](<http://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/positioning-navigation/geodesy/geodetic-datums/gda>) will be adjusted and synchronized with international records.

The correction will help keep location data accurate for satellites, as well as services and new technology that rely on geolocation such as self-driving cars and drones.

### Author social links  
[Facebook](<http://facebook.com/thescientress>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://ph.linkedin.com/in/cecillebautistadejesus>)