Geomatics I

Lec. I= Introduction

Asst. Lect. Mohammed Hashim

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 Introduction to Surveying
► Definition:
Surveying is the science and art of
determining the relative positions of points
above, on, or beneath the earth’s surface
and locating the points in the field.

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 The work of the surveyor
consists of 5 phases:
1. Decision Making – selecting method, equipment
and final point locations.
2. Fieldwork & Data Collection – making
measurements and recording data in the field.
3. Computing & Data Processing – preparing
calculations based upon the recorded data to
determine locations in a useable form.
4. Mapping or Data Representation – plotting data
to produce a map, plat, or chart in the proper form.
5. Stakeout – locating and establishing monuments or
stakes in the proper locations in the field.
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2 Categories of Surveying:

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1. Plane Surveying – surveying with the reference
base for fieldwork and computations are assumed to
be a flat horizontal surface.
 Generally within a 12 mile radius the pull of gravity is very
nearly parallel to that at any other point within the radius
and thus horizontal lines can be considered straight.

2. Geodetic Surveying – surveying technique to

determine relative positions of widely spaced points,
lengths, and directions which require the
consideration of the size and shape of the earth.
(Takes the earth’s curvature into account.)

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7 Types of Surveys:

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1. Photogrammetry – mapping utilizing data
obtained by camera or other sensors carried in
airplanes or satellites.

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2. Boundary Surveying – establishing property
corners, boundaries, and areas of land parcels.

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3. Control Surveying – establish a network of
horizontal and vertical monuments that serve as a
reference framework for other survey projects.

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4. Engineering Surveying – providing points and
elevations for the building Civil Engineering projects.

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5. Topographic Surveying – collecting data and
preparing maps showing the locations of natural man-
made features and elevations of points o the ground for
multiple uses.

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6. Route Surveys – topographic and other surveys for
long – narrow projects associated with Civil Engineering
projects.
 Highways,
railroads, pipelines,
and transmission
lines.

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7. Hydrographic Surveying – mapping of
shorelines and the bottom of bodies of water.
 Also known as bathymetric surveying.

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 Brief History of Surveying:
1. Surveying had it’s beginning in Egypt about
1400 BC
 Land along the Nile River was divided for taxation.
Divisions were washed away by annual floods.
 “ROPE-STRETCHERS” Egyptian surveyors were created to
relocate the land divisions (measurements were made with
ropes having knots at unit distances).
 Extensive use of surveying in building of Egyptian
monuments
2. Greeks: expanded Egyptian work and developed
Geometry.
 Developed one of the earliest surveying instruments
– Diopter (a form of level).
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 Brief History of Surveying:
3. Romans: developed surveying into a science to
create the Roman roads, aqueducts, and land
division systems.
 Surveyors held great power, had schools and a
professional organization
 Developed several instruments:
• Groma – cross instrument used to determine lines and right angles
• Libella – “A” frame with a plumb bob used for leveling
• Chorobates – 20’ straight edge with oil in notch for leveling
4. Middle Ages: land division of Romans continued in
Europe.
 Quadrans – square brass frame capable of turning angles
up to 90° and has a graduated scale developed by an
Italian named Von Piso. 28
 Brief History of Surveying:
5. 18th & 19th Century in the New World: the
need for mapping and marking land claims caused
extensive surveying, especially by the English.
 1785: United Stated began extensive surveys of public
lands into one mile square sections
• 30 states surveyed under the U.S. Public Land System
(also called the Rectangular System)
 1807: United States Geological Survey founded to
establish an accurate control network and mapping
 Famous American Surveyors: George Washington,
Thomas Jefferson, George Rogers Clark, Abe Lincoln and
many more.
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 Brief History of Surveying:
6. 20th Century and Beyond: As technology
advanced, population increased, and land value
caused development of licensure for surveyors in all
states.
 Educational requirements for licensure began in the early
1990’s
 Capable of electronic distance measurement, positioning
using global positioning systems, construction machine
control, and lidar (scanning) mapping
 Involvement in rebuilding of the infrastructure and
geographic information systems (GIS)
 Shortage of licensed professionals is projected well into
the 21st century 30
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Geom atics is defined as a system ic,
m ultidisciplinary, integrated approach to select
the instrum ents and the appropriate techniques
for collecting, storing, integrating, m odeling,
analyzing, retrieving at w ill, transform ing,
displaying and distributing spatially
georeferenced data from different sources w ith
w ell-defined accuracy characteristics, continuity
and in a digital form at.

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The name is used for surveying in U.S.A. / Canada / United
Kingdom / Australia. Surveying engineering = Geomatics
engineering Principal reason for name change is :
Recent technologies provided surveyors new tools
for measuring and/or collecting information, for computing,
and for displaying and disseminating information.
Increasing concerns about the environment locally,
regionally and globally, and this has greatly exacerbated
efforts in monitoring, managing and regulating the use of
our land, water, air and other natural resources.
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Surveying is used in the following sciences:
Astronomy
Forestry
Geography
Geology
Geophysics
Landscape architecture
Military and civil engineering

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Surveying safety
Surveyors (Geomatics engineers) generally are
involved in both field and office work.

1- Field work
making measurements with various types of
instruments.
determine the relative locations of points.
to set out stakes in accordance with planned
locations to guide building and construction
operations.
2- Office work
research and analysis in preparing for surveys.
computing and processing the data obtained from
field measurements.
preparing maps, plots, charts, reports and other
documents.
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Five kinds of measurement are:
Horizontal angles
Horizontal distances
Vertical (or zenith) angles
Vertical distances
Slope distances

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Units of Measurements

Magnitudes of measurements must be given in

terms of specific units. Units in surveying

1. length
2. area
3. volume
4. angle

International System of Units (SI) = Metric System

English system = U.S. survey feet

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 THEORY OF ERROR IN OBSERVATIONS
Good measurements require a combination of human
skill and mechanical equipment applied with the
utmost judgment Observations are never exact, and
therefore contain always errors.

Surveyors must understand :

1. different kinds of errors
2. their sources
3. expecting magnitudes under varying conditions
4. their manner of propagation

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DIRECT AND INDIRECT
OBSERVATIONS

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Direct observations :
Examples :
applying a tape to a line
fitting a protector to an angle
turning an angle with a total station instrument

Indirect observations :
Observations are determined by its relationship to some other
value or values
Example : The distance across a river can be found by observing
the length of a line on one side, the angle at each end of this
line to a point on the other side and then computing the
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distance by one of the standard trigonometric formulas
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Errors & Mistakes

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ERRORS IN MEASUREMENTS
An error is the difference between an observed value (X),
for a quantity and its true value

It is unconditionally stated that :

1.no observation is exact
2.every observation contains error
3. the true value of an observation is never known and
therefore,
the exact error present is always unknown 46
MISTAKES
These are observer blunders and caused by:
1.misunderstanding the problem
2. carelessness
3. fatigue missed communication
4. poor judgment

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SOURCES OF ERRORS
Natural errors: caused by variations in wind, temperature,
humidity, atmospheric pressure, atmospheres refraction,
gravity and magnetic declination
I nstrum ental errors: imperfection in the construction or
judgment of instruments and from the movement of
individual parts
P ersonal errors: arise from limitations of sight and touch.

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TYPES OF ERRORS

Errors in observations are of two types : system atic and

random

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PRECISION AND ACCURACY

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P recision refers to the degree of refinement or consistency
of a group of observations, and is evaluated on the basis of
discrepancy size. If multiple observations are made of the
same quantity and small discrepancies result, this indicates
high precision. The degree of precision attainable is
dependent on equipment sensitivity and observer skill.

Accuracy denotes the absolute nearness of observed

quantities to their true values

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