Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T03:22:38.515Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Removal of refraction errors in geodetic leveling

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 August 2015

Sandford R. Holdahl*
Affiliation:
National Geodetic Survey National Ocean Survey/NOAA Rockville, Maryland 20782

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Refraction error is often regarded as the most serious problem with geodetic leveling. Its accumulation depends on the slope of the terrain being leveled, length of sight, and the vertical temperature gradient. Refraction error can be minimized by limiting and balancing sight lengths, and by not reading the portion of the level rod which is within 0.5 meter of the ground where air density changes most rapidly. The remaining refraction error should be removed by application of a correction to leveling data, otherwise heights and crustal motion may be determined so weakly that meaningful conclusions or interpretations cannot be inferred from the data by geophysicists.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Reidel 1979 

References

Angus-Leppan, P.V.: 1970, Proc. Conf. on Densification of Geodetic Networks , Budapest.Google Scholar
Angus-Leppan, P.V.: 1971, Commonwealth Survey Officers Conference , Paper No. 85, 9.Google Scholar
Angus-Leppan, P.V. and Webb, E.K.: 1971, General Assembly IUGG , Moscow, Section 1, 15.Google Scholar
Best, A.C.: 1935, Geophysical Memoirs No. 65 , London.Google Scholar
Fraser, C.S.: 1977, Uniserv G 27 (1977), p. 4251, Univ. NSW, Sydney.Google Scholar
Geiger, R.: 1975, Harvard University Press. .Google Scholar
Hytonen, E.: 1967, Pub. of the Finnish Geodetic Inst. , No. 63, Helsinki.Google Scholar
Kukkamaki, T.J.: 1936, Verh. d. 9. Tagung d. Balt. Geod. Komm. , Helsinki and Helsinki 1937.Google Scholar
Rosenberg, N.J.: 1974, John Wiley & Sons , New York.Google Scholar
Webb, E.K.: 1969, Proc. of REF-EDM Conf. , Univ. NSW, Sydney (1968), 19.Google Scholar