Wednesday 31 December 2014

U.S. National Geodetic Survey: Its Tools And Services

By Carey Bourdier


There are many agencies of the United States Government and some are certainly not very well known. This doesn't lessen their importance though as they contribute in making the nation stay on course. With regards to our nation's transportation and infrastructure, the U.S. National Geodetic Survey agency supports such function.

Knowing what the word "geodetic" means can be very helpful in understanding them. Geodesy revolves around this term which is a brand of science dedicated to determining the shape and size of the Earth and the location of points all over the globe. Everything from shoreline mapping to emergency response imagery and airport surveys is what this agency and its scientist's works on.

The main purpose of this agency is to define and maintain the National Spatial Reference System. This system is basically provides accurate information about every square inch of the United States, including land and water. The staff continuously maintains information about latitude and longitude as well as scale, height, gravity and orientation. These types of statistics can change throughout the year or over time as the earth continues to move and change.

This type of information benefits greatly from construction of roads and bridges, as well as creating accurate property lines and the ones related to it. When measurements are inaccurate, different problems can come into fruition. Even if it's just an error of the slightest margin, a ship could run aground particularly if a map shows the depth of the ocean incorrectly. Society benefits greatly from proper mapping and surveying which is one if their many great functions.

More and more, the staff at the U.S. National Geodetic Survey will be using satellites and other technology to produce highly accurate maps. There are also a variety of other tools that are used to help record changes in elevation, slope, scale and height. One frequently used surveyor's tool is the theodolite and you have probably seen engineers and surveyors using these devices on your local roads.

A device that measures angles in the horizontal and vertical planes is the theodolite. It is important to know the angle and slope of land in general especially in the creation of our roads and in the construction of homes and other buildings and one can't imagine them without it. A building settling improperly or a bridge or road being constructed incorrectly can be caused by the slightest error. A theodolite is just one of the tools that might be used at the U.S. National Geodetic Survey. Another device that may also be used to measure angles of slope is the clinometer which is also called an inclinometer.




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