Surveying Equipment & GPS/GNSS Flashcards
6 cards from real FUNDAMENTAL SURVEYING practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Surveying Equipment & GPS/GNSS flashcards as text
What is LiDAR in the context of modern surveying?
Answer: Light Detection and Ranging — a laser-based system for collecting dense 3D point clouds
LiDAR emits laser pulses and measures return times to generate millions of 3D points, creating highly accurate elevation models and site maps.
What is 'photogrammetry' in surveying?
Answer: Deriving measurements and maps from photographs or imagery
Photogrammetry extracts spatial measurements and creates maps and 3D models from overlapping photographs or drone imagery.
What is a 'control survey'?
Answer: A high-accuracy survey establishing horizontal and/or vertical positions to control subsequent surveys
A control survey establishes a network of accurately positioned monuments that serve as the framework for all subsequent surveys in an area.
What is the geoid in the context of vertical datums?
Answer: An equipotential surface approximating mean sea level used as the reference for orthometric heights
The geoid is an irregular equipotential surface of Earth's gravity field that closely approximates mean sea level and serves as the reference for orthometric (elevation) measurements.
What does the 'N value' (geoid undulation) represent in GPS surveying?
Answer: The vertical separation between the ellipsoid and the geoid at a given location
The geoid undulation N = ellipsoidal height minus orthometric height, and is used to convert GPS ellipsoidal heights to practical sea-level (NAVD 88) elevations.
What is a 'field book' in traditional surveying used for?
Answer: To record raw observations, sketches, and notes in a permanent written record
A field book is a permanent, legally recognized record of all raw survey observations, instrument setups, and sketches made during a survey.