Atmospheric Attenuation and Scintillation Effects on the Range of EDM Instruments
Publication: Journal of Surveying Engineering
Volume 141, Issue 3
Abstract
This investigation aimed to study the range of various electronic distance measurement (EDM) instruments used in survey engineering, assuming different weather conditions and different terrain altitudes, by controlling every parameter influencing the measurements and contrasting the results with the information provided by the manufacturers. The first step consisted of determining the EDM real optical wavelength to be used for control against the manufacturers’ provided values. Consequently, a spectroscopy test of the lasers installed in every EDM instrument was carried out at the ESA-VSC [European Space Agency (ESA) and Val Space Consortium (VSC)] laboratory. The second step was to study the total measurement range of each instrument in different weather conditions and at different altitudes. Three experimental tests were carried out at three different locations in eastern Spain, separated by distances of less than 90 km, and altitudes ranging from sea level to about 2,000 m. Owing to the influence of atmospheric effects on the EDM ranges, some atmospheric parameters were carefully measured during the process (i.e., pressure, temperature, and humidity). From the experiments, a large dependence of altitude on the EDM ranges was detected. A decrease in range at midday hours was observed in all cases studied. Aerosol scattering was found to cause a reduction of EDM range in all cases. A marked influence of atmospheric scintillation on the EDM ranges became evident in all results. Furthermore, as expected, a correlation between laser beam divergence and range, which increased with altitude, was also found. In certain projects where range in EDM is essential, it is advisable to conduct a preliminary study to evaluate the actual range of the particular instrument before it is used.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to express their gratitude to ESA-VSC laboratory for allowing them the opportunity to carry out this project and for their collaboration. They also would like to thank the Department of Cartographic Engineering, Geodesy and Photogrammetry and the Technical School of Mapping, Geodetic and Photogrammetric Engineering of the Universitat Politècnica de València and Geoconcept for loaning the team the instruments used. The translation of this paper was funded by the Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Surveying Engineering
Volume 141 • Issue 3 • August 2015
Copyright
© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 7, 2013
Accepted: Nov 5, 2014
Published online: Mar 25, 2015
Published in print: Aug 1, 2015
Discussion open until: Aug 25, 2015
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