Category Archives: Surveying
Passing the California PLS Exam, Part 2
Exam content, lessons from taking the exam, and recommendations for study methods. Are you interested in passing the California PLS state-specific exam and becoming a California Professional Land Surveyor? If yes, then read on! I just passed my California PLS exam in May 2019 and can share my experiences with you. This article covers exam...
Future Prepping
This month is National Preparedness Month, and while we all should take the opportunity to get prepared for emergencies, I’d like to talk about prepping along another line: getting ready for the future of geospatial. If there is any certainty in this life it is this: life is uncertain. The geospatial profession is no exception....
InSAR Quake “Rainbow”
This graphic, which some folks call a rippling rainbow effect, is part of the valuable post-quake analysis of the 6.4 and 7.1 magnitude earthquakes—and thousands of minor quakes—in the vicinity of Ridgecrest, California in early July 2019. This map—produced by the Advanced Rapid Imaging and Analysis (ARIA) team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena,...
The HP-41C: A Legend Is Born
Because I tend to reminisce in my Field Notes installments from time to time, it seems fitting to include the computing workhorse of my generation, the Hewlett-Packard 41C series. It carried me through the most developmental stage of my career and will remain my favorite calculator of all time. The first HP-41C was introduced in 1979 as the first...
Fully BIM
Above: Jeffrey Truijens, BIM manager and information and process coordinator for one of the general contractors for the Pontsteiger building. Credit: Josine Voogt Fotografie. A new Amsterdam icon was developed completely with openBIM, proving that BIM can be a cornerstone for highly complex, multidisciplinary design and production coordination. Editor’s Introduction At the 2019 Geospatial World...
Passing the California PLS Exam, Part 1
Part 1: Requirements and Process Are you interested in passing the California PLS state-specific exam and becoming a California Professional Land Surveyor? If yes, then read on! I just passed my California PLS exam in May 2019 and can share my experiences with you. This article covers exam requirements and processes, the take-home exam, board-approved...
