Chapter 2
Geodesy and Geodetic Computations
Publication: Surveying and Geomatics Engineering: Principles, Technologies, and Applications
Abstract
This chapter introduces Geodesy as both a science and an art that includes activities devoted to determining the size and shape of the Earth, defining the location of objects in/on/near the Earth, and understanding the forces of nature governing the movement of those objects. The horizontal and vertical control marks are referenced to various National Geodetic Survey-defined data. The reliance in the United States on the integrity of the geodetic survey control networks for development of the physical infrastructure is explored. A spherical Earth model is presented that utilizes equations of spherical trigonometry; this model has applications in disciplines such as navigation and geography. Geometrical models used in geodesy that are embodied in various projected coordinate systems are described. The geometrical geodesy model uses the ellipsoid as the basis for computations. A geodetic inverse computation consists of finding the direction and distance from one known point to another based upon a specified reference ellipsoid.
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References
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Surveying and Geomatics Engineering: Principles, Technologies, and Applications
Pages: 7 - 28
Editors: Daniel T. Gillins, Ph.D., Michael L. Dennis, Ph.D., and Allan Y. Ng
ISBN (Print): 978-0-7844-1603-7
ISBN (Online): 978-0-7844-8400-5
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© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Published online: Jun 8, 2022
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