There are many methods to map the Earth all around us, each method having their very own benefits. One type of method is a topographic survey, which are employed for a number of purposes.
Exactly what is a Topographic Survey?
Topographic surveys are a type of survey that measures the elevation of a particular piece of land at various points. These points are then illustrated as contour lines on a map/plot.
Contour lines are curved or straight lines on a map that join points of the same elevation together to indicate the elevation and steepness of a particular area of land. For example, a very steep mountain on a survey will have lots of very close-together contour lines, whereas flat land will have very spaced out contour lines.
The survey shows the relative positions and elevations of both natural and man-made features on a house. These features can include rivers, streams, roads, buildings and lanes. These surveys are very graphical in nature and are the most universally understood forms of land surveys on the globe.
What are they useful for?
Topographic surveys are widely used all over the world for a variety of reasons. read more can be classified into include development, planning and land use. These surveys can be attracted to appropriate scales to match the purpose it really is for.
Many construction projects start by using a topographic or land survey to greatly help with the initial design stage of the building - like the best section of land for it to be built, and what features gets in the way. They're well known because of their use in orienteering and hiking. They are also the easiest forms of maps to understand and navigate from. It is vital for serious hikers to learn the elevation and steepness of their surroundings, particularly in very hilly areas.
Procedure for creating one
They generally cover large areas of land and may be quite frustrating to gather the info. However, with the advancement of apparatus and tools to aid in surveying the techniques are becoming considerably faster and more accurate. The initial step to developing a survey would be to establish the horizontal and vertical controls, accompanied by the surveyor locating the different features (both natural and man-made) within the control area which will be included in the topographic survey.
Next the info collected needs to be formatted to meet the look criteria, and lastly the topographic survey has to be drawn up and completed - often alongside a detailed report.
How to locate them
Most countries in the world have their own government agency that handles topographic surveys of the land. These surveys are some of the most popular and common means of getting across maps to everyone.
In Australia, Geoscience Australia controls the National Mapping Information Group, and they provide free surveys and maps on their website. The Ordnance Survey is the United Kingdom's agency for various surveys. Ordnance Survey was one of the first developers of topographic surveys on the planet, upon which most other topographic surveys are based.
In america, all topographic and property surveys of public land are looked after by america Geological Survey. The Geological Survey produces a variety of surveys at different scale and detail. The internet has made finding numerous kinds of surveys extremely easy and convenient. Most government agencies, like the ones named above, now provide a range of topographic surveys on the websites together with a choice to print them as books.