Georeferencing is the process of associating geographic information with spatial data. This involves taking spatial data that is in an unknown coordinate system or map projection and aligning it to a known coordinate system or map projection.
Georeferencing is often used in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to create maps and perform spatial analysis. It is also used in remote sensing applications to align satellite images and aerial photographs with maps or other spatial data.
The process of georeferencing typically involves identifying control points on the unknown spatial data and matching them to corresponding control points on a reference map or dataset that is already in a known coordinate system or projection. Once these control points are identified and matched, a transformation is applied to the unknown spatial data to align it with the reference dataset.
Georeferencing is an important step in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of spatial data, as it allows different datasets to be compared and analyzed in a consistent and meaningful way.