Which system is used to locate places on the Earth's surface using latitude and longitude?

The geographic coordinate system is the appropriate choice for locating places on the Earth's surface using latitude and longitude. This system is based on a spherical coordinate system where the position of any point on the planet is defined by two angles: latitude, which measures how far north or south a point is from the equator, and longitude, which measures how far east or west a point is from the Prime Meridian.

The geographic coordinate system provides a framework that allows for precise navigation, mapping, and understanding of spatial relationships between different locations on Earth. It accounts for the curvature of the Earth and is essential for global positioning systems (GPS), cartography, and geographic information systems (GIS).

Other systems mentioned, like the Cartesian coordinate system, are more useful for flat, two-dimensional spaces rather than the three-dimensional surface of the Earth. The geospatial reference system is a broader term that can encompass several types of coordinate systems, but specifically, it is not synonymous with latitude and longitude. Lastly, topographic mapping systems represent physical terrain features and are not primarily used for global location identification through latitude and longitude.