Category Archives: Surveying
Don’t Buy a Drone
Instead, invest in a fleet of drones. (Apologies for the clickbait headline!) While I was talking to a surveyor whose firm employs UAS in their work, he mentioned the different models of the craft they have. I interrupted him: “Just how many drones do you have?” “16” was the answer. This got me thinking about...
Geomatics at Nicholls State University
A profile of their geomatics program Above: Students receive instructions on laser scanning. L-r: Jessica Freeman, Kent Hebert, Paul LeBlanc, Dr. Balaji Ramachandran, Monica Crout, and Ann Hebert. Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, initiated its new four-year Bachelor of Science degree program in geomatics during the summer semester of 2003. This program is a...
Are HARNs on Death Row?
In the late 1980s, the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) launched a program, in cooperation with State partners, to establish a High Accuracy Reference Network (HARN) across the United States. HARN’s History With the rapidly increasing availability and use of GPS equipment, NGS recognized the need to establish a network of high-accuracy, passive survey monuments with...
Night in the Afternoon: A US Solar Eclipse
What you need to know about the 2017 solar eclipse The upcoming solar eclipse will leave a 70-mile-wide trail of darkness across the United States on August 21, 2017 (see the map of the eclipse path on pages 44-45). This will be a once-in-a-lifetime event for many people. While another total solar eclipse will make...
Fire, Ice, and Latitude in Ecuador
A team of U.S. surveyors visited Ecuador to use real-time PPP to pay homage to the 18th-century “Geodesic Mission to the Equator,” one of the most difficult and significant missions in the history of surveying and geodesy. Pictured above: The team of U.S. surveyors on the 2017 Ecuador visit (from back to front): Rich Leu, John...
Get Ready for the Solar Eclipse!
In less than a month (August 21, to be precise) folks across the United States, from Oregon to South Carolina, will be treated to a rare total solar eclipse. Here’s the Pangaea guide to watching this spectacular event. Safety first! Don’t even think about watching the eclipse without proper eye protection. Retailers have been busy...