Category Archives: Surveying
A Correctly Weighted Least Squares Adjustment, Part 1
Problems from using computed standard deviations. According to the 2011 Minimum Standard Detail Requirements for ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys, “‘Relative Positional Precision’ means the length of the semi-major axis, expressed in feet or meters, of the error ellipse representing the uncertainty due to random errors in measurements in the location of the monument, or witness,...
NGS Finds a Real-Time Solution
An Iowa RTN contributes to the National Geodetic Survey’s Geoid Slope Validation Survey of 2014. The gravimetric geoid model will become the zero-height surface for the new geopotential reference frame, which will replace the North American Vertical Datum (NAVD 88) in 2022. The Geoid Slope Validation Survey of 2014 (GSVS14) is the second survey conducted...
The Long Drive
Topcon Positioning Systems’ president and CEO Ray O’Connor talks about automation, integrated solutions, smart phones, golf, and the coming era of continuous representation of reality. The occasion of our conversation with Ray O’Connor was a visit to the headquarters of Topcon Positioning Systems in Livermore, California, which included a tour of their manufacturing facility, a...
Upcoming Young Surveyors Network North American Meeting
Register now for the Young Surveyors Network (YSN) 2nd North American Meeting – Minneapolis MN – Feb 10th 2016 The FIG Young Surveyors North American Network will hold its next meeting in conjunction with the Minnesota Society of Professional Surveyors (MSPS) Annual Conference. The 2nd FIG Young Surveyors North American meeting will be held on...
Outlook 2016: 40 Under 40
In this annual issue focused on the future, we offer “40 under 40” (or “40<40”): a collection of profiles of motivated and noteworthy young professionals under 40 years of age. It is our wish that these profiles will honor those who work tirelessly to promote geospatial fields and to provide inspiration for young people considering...
Quarry Monitoring
In Slovenia, a team monitored slope stability in an open-pit quarry using a classic, optical precise level and Invar rod. Editor’s note: Cost-benefit analysis dictates that, for open-pit mines and quarries, steep slopes allow for the most efficient extraction of resources but at an increased risk of slope failures. This adapted paper outlines an example...
