Saturday, 6 December 2014

Functions & Purpose Of U.S. National Geodetic Survey

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.

It can be helpful to understand what the world "geodetic" means. This term refers to geodesy which is a branch of science dedicated to determining the shape and size of the Earth and the location of points all over the globe. The scientists at this agency work on everything from shoreline mapping to emergency response imagery and airport surveys.

The National Spatial Reference System, its definition and maintenance is that main purpose of this agency. Basically, this system provides accurate information about every square inch of the United States, including land and water. The staff continually maintains information about latitude and longitude as well as scale, height, gravity and orientation. As the earth continues to move and change, so does its types of statistics which can happen throughout the year or over time.

This type of information is important for many tasks including the construction of roads and bridges, as well as creating accurate property lines and much more. If the measurements are inaccurate, this can cause many problems. For instance, if a map shows the depth of the ocean incorrectly, a ship could run aground, even if it's just an error of a few feet. This is just one example of how proper mapping and surveying benefits society.

Satellites and other technology are used by more and more staff at the U.S National Geodetic Survey to produce highly accurate maps. Other tools that are used to help record changes in elevation, slope, scale and height also exist which comes in different variety. The theodolite is one frequently used surveyor's tool and you have probably seen engineers and surveyors using these devices on your neighborhood.

The basic premise of a Theodolite is that is measures angles in the horizontal and vertical planes. As a whole, it is important to be familiar with the angle and slope of the land particularly in the creation of our roads and in the contraction of homes and other buildings and not having this information is somewhat incomprehensible. The slightest error can result to a building settling improperly or a bridge or road being constructed incorrectly. The U.S. National Geodetic Surgery use several tools and a Theodolite is one amongst the many. The angles of slopes also can be measured with the use of a clinometer which is also known as an inclinometer.




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