so you'd have to calculate the increment gained each time the GPS collects data (say, every 30 seconds, or so?), and add up the result:
delta_x = horizontal distance
delta_z = vertical distance
pathlength += Sqrt[ delta_x^2 + delta_z^2 ]
Okay, using this data set:
The fields are:
Lat, Lon, Ele (in meters), Time
'36.663116030395031 -92.902936963364482 353.899999999999977 2011-12-30T22:19:27Z'
'36.663144025951624 -92.902942998334765 354.860000000000014 2011-12-30T22:19:39Z'
'36.663215020671487 -92.902968982234597 358.70999999999998 2011-12-30T22:20:08Z'
'36.663261959329247 -92.902940986678004 360.149999999999977 2011-12-30T22:20:23Z'
'36.663261037319899 -92.902955990284681 359.670000000000016 2011-12-30T22:21:10Z'
These are the results I get using the code I'm running. Distance and Elevation are both converted to feet:
Leg 1 - Distance : 10.3625268966932 ::: Elevation : 3.14960630400012
Leg 2 - Distance : 26.9923527802663 ::: Elevation : 12.6312336149999
Leg 3 - Distance : 18.9807255710197 ::: Elevation : 4.72440945599999
Leg 4 - Distance : 4.40460389188256 ::: Elevation : 1.57480315199987
Total Distance : 60.7402091398617 || Elevation Change : 22.0800525269999
That should give you the numbers you need to run your math and compare to the total distance shown. You should probably double check my numbers, but you only need to check two legs of data to confirm if they are good or not, and I'll fix them if they are bad.
I would run that last bit of math myself, but you'll have to explain what "delta_x^2" means. Is there a way to write that in longhand math that I can better understand?
Hopefully you'll forgive me for not being able to decipher the formula you've offered. I never had an opportunity to take any math classes past the eighth grade, schools in LA were pretty overcrowded in the `70s...
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