Category Archives: Surveying
Motorized Trig Leveling
In Denmark, a new approach is boosting productivity in maintaining precise vertical data. EDITOR’S NOTE: Conventional surveying wisdom holds that differential and spirit leveling—and, specifically, digital—are superior to trigonometric leveling. But, with today’s improved instruments, software, and methods (developed over several decades of testing by many parties), results have shown that trig leveling can, if...
Disaster Relief Fund for Surveyors
Surveyors helping surveyors. The National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS) Foundation Disaster Relief Fund is offering financial assistance for surveyors affected by the recent, multiple,and devastating, disasters—and seeks donations. Click here to see before and after images of Hurricane Harvey, courtesy of Woolpert; the ArcGIS Disaster Response Map showing the wildfires; and the National Hurricane...
Certifications or Licensing? Part 5
Part 5 of 6: Proposing a National Program for Surveyor Education and Certification Editor’s note: What will regulation, certification, and licensing of the surveying profession look like in the near and distant future? Surveying is and always has been molded by external influences: markets, technologies, economic conditions, demographics, and competition from outside of the profession....
The Modernized NSRS (A Summary)
Editor’s Note (from Scott Martin): When I learned that NGS and Dru Smith (the NSRS modernization manager for the NGS) had requested to respond to my August Field Notes, I was quite intimidated. However, my fears were quickly quelled. Thank you, Dr. Smith! As mentioned below, a more extensive and informative response on the monumental...
Recording, Registration, and Cadastres
Comparing systems for real-property management in the Netherlands and the United States Editor’s Note: the most valuable fiscal investment for many in their lifetime is in real-property; and quite understandably matters of legal and spatial certainty is of utmost importance to property owners, financial institutions, and public entities (for taxation, planning, and land management purposes)....
GPR Revisited
Arrays of multiple sensors and advances in processing breathe new life into the field of ground penetrating radar. We continue to struggle with the opaque elements of our world. To be able to penetrate the opaqueness of night, fog, clouds, and the ocean’s depths is a relative snap compared to the challenges of seeing downward into...
