I85PREP
⌘ K
CA Land Surveyor study materials
CA Land Surveyor study resources

CA Land Surveyor practice questions

One question at a time. Build your CA Land Surveyor understanding.

First 50 of 200 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

Continue in the practice tool above to load more questions, 50 at a time.

Question 1Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

A deed describes a line as running 'northerly 200 feet to an iron pipe set by the original surveyor.' The pipe is found and is clearly the original monument, but measurement shows the distance is 196.4 feet. Which call fixes the corner?

  1. The call for the iron pipe Correct answer.
  2. The recorded bearing of the line
  3. The computed area of the parcel
  4. The call for the 200-foot distance

Explanation

In the hierarchy of deed calls, monuments - natural or artificial - outrank courses, distances, and quantity. A called monument that is found and identified as original fixes the corner, and the recited distance is treated as descriptive only.

Question 2Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

In the federal rectangular system, what is the legal function of a meander line?

  1. It fixes the area of the fractional lot for computation. Correct answer.
  2. It marks the closing corner of the section.
  3. It is the boundary of the patented fractional lot.
  4. It is the ordinary high water mark of the stream.

Explanation

A meander line is run only to obtain the area of fractional lots lying along a body of water. It is not a boundary; the patent conveys to the water itself, wherever the water boundary may lie.

Question 3Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

In a standard section of the rectangular system that contains fractional lots, how are the lots numbered?

  1. Sequentially, beginning at the southwest corner.
  2. Counterclockwise, beginning at the northeast corner. Correct answer.
  3. Clockwise, beginning at the northeast corner.
  4. Alternating east-west, beginning at the southeast corner.

Explanation

Congressional lotting begins with Lot 1 at the northeast corner of the section and proceeds westward, then south, then eastward - a counterclockwise progression.

Question 4Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

A deed calls both for an artificial monument and, along the same line, for the bank of a natural creek. The two calls conflict in position. Which call controls?

  1. The call for the recorded distance.
  2. The average of the two conflicting calls.
  3. The call for the natural creek bank. Correct answer.
  4. The artificial monument, because it is of record.

Explanation

The recognized hierarchy is natural monuments first, then artificial monuments, then courses, then distances, then quantity. A natural feature such as a creek bank therefore controls over an artificial monument.

Question 5Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

Sediment is deposited along a riverfront parcel so gradually and imperceptibly that the change cannot be observed from day to day. This process is called:

  1. reliction
  2. erosion
  3. accretion Correct answer.
  4. avulsion

Explanation

Accretion is the imperceptible addition of land by the action of water. Title to the added land vests in the riparian owner without any new conveyance.

Question 6Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

After a single flood, a river abandons its bed and cuts a new channel several hundred feet away. The boundary of parcels along the old channel:

  1. moves halfway toward the new channel.
  2. becomes the meander line of record.
  3. remains in the middle of the old channel. Correct answer.
  4. moves to the middle of the new channel.

Explanation

A sudden and perceptible change of channel is an avulsion, and an avulsion does not move a boundary. The boundary stays where the water was before the flood.

Question 7Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

For how long must a claimant satisfy the elements of adverse possession in California, and what additional payment is required?

  1. Seven years, with payment of the possessor's own taxes.
  2. Five years, with payment of all taxes levied on the parcel. Correct answer.
  3. Three years, with payment of all improvement bonds.
  4. Ten years, with payment of all special assessments.

Explanation

California's adverse possession statute requires possession for five years and timely payment of all state, county, and municipal taxes levied on the property during that period.

Question 8Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

Which element must be proved to establish adverse possession but is not required for a prescriptive easement in California?

  1. Use that is continuous for the statutory term.
  2. Use that is open and notorious.
  3. Payment of the taxes levied on the land. Correct answer.
  4. Use that is adverse to the record owner.

Explanation

A prescriptive easement requires open, notorious, continuous, and adverse use for the statutory period, but no payment of taxes. Adverse possession of the fee adds the requirement that all taxes levied on the property be paid.

Question 9Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

Two patents from the United States overlap along a strip of land. Patent A was issued in 1872; Patent B, describing the same strip, was issued in 1889. Which patent controls the strip?

  1. Patent A, the senior patent. Correct answer.
  2. Both patents, as tenants in common.
  3. Patent B, the later patent.
  4. Neither patent; the strip escheats to the state.

Explanation

Under the senior rights rule, a junior patent is void as against an earlier patent to the same land to the extent of the overlap. The senior conveyance prevails regardless of which instrument was recorded first.

Question 10Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

A deed's call 'thence north 40 degrees east, 500 feet' is inconsistent with the original monuments found at both ends of the line, which lie on a bearing of north 43 degrees east. What governs the line?

  1. The recorded bearing of north 40 degrees east.
  2. An average of the record and monument bearings.
  3. The line between the found monuments. Correct answer.
  4. The recorded distance of 500 feet.

Explanation

Course and distance are subordinate calls that yield to monuments. Where original monuments are found at both ends of the line, they fix the line and the record bearing and distance are merely descriptive.

Question 11Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

A deed conveys 'the west half of the northwest quarter, containing 80 acres more or less.' A survey shows 78.6 acres. How should the acreage be treated?

  1. The acreage must be enlarged back to exactly 80.
  2. Quantity is the weakest call and yields to monuments. Correct answer.
  3. The grantee may recover damages for the shortage.
  4. The shortage voids the conveyance in part.

Explanation

Quantity is the least reliable element of a deed description, and the phrase 'more or less' expressly makes it approximate. The boundaries established by the calls and monuments control, and no adjustment is made for a small difference in area.

Question 12Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

Which combination of facts supports establishing a boundary by agreement in California?

  1. A recorded parcel map and payment of taxes.
  2. A written deed, an acknowledgment, and a recorded survey.
  3. A quiet title judgment and a subsequent survey.
  4. Uncertainty about the line, an agreement, and performance. Correct answer.

Explanation

The agreed boundary doctrine requires that the true line be uncertain or in dispute, that the owners agree on a line, and that they perform under the agreement by erecting monuments or occupying to the agreed line.

Question 13Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

A deed refers to 'the Old Mill lot' but gives no dimensions or other description of it. In a dispute over which parcel was conveyed, what rule governs the admission of evidence?

  1. Extrinsic evidence may be admitted to resolve a latent ambiguity. Correct answer.
  2. Reformation of the deed is the sole remedy available.
  3. Only the grantor's later statements are admissible.
  4. Extrinsic evidence may never be used to locate a deed line.

Explanation

A description that is certain on its face but uncertain when applied to the ground creates a latent ambiguity. Courts admit extrinsic evidence of the surrounding circumstances to ascertain what the parties meant by the term used.

Question 14Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

A section corner lying on a line between two recovered corners is missing, and the two corners at the ends of that line are found in their original positions. Which method restores the missing corner?

  1. Grant boundary adjustment.
  2. Position from the nearest subdivision of record.
  3. Single proportionate measurement. Correct answer.
  4. Double proportionate measurement.

Explanation

Where a corner is lost on a line between two existent corners, single proportionate measurement is used: the record distance is apportioned between the found corners in proportion to the measured distance between them.

Question 15Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

A patent conveys 'the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter' of a regular section having no irregular boundaries. How many acres does that aliquot part contain?

  1. 10 acres
  2. 80 acres
  3. 40 acres Correct answer.
  4. 20 acres

Explanation

A regular section contains 640 acres, so the northeast quarter contains 160 acres. One quarter of that quarter is 40 acres.

Question 16Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

A deed describes a line running 'thence east 300 feet to the west line of the Jones tract as described in Book 12, Page 4.' The Jones line is found 287 feet from the point of beginning. What controls the east end of the line?

  1. The west line of the Jones tract. Correct answer.
  2. The bearing set out in the deed.
  3. The 300-foot distance.
  4. The recorded area of the parcel.

Explanation

A call for the line of an adjoining tract is a monument call. It prevails over the accompanying distance, which is regarded as approximate and is corrected to reach the adjoiner's line.

Question 17Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

In construing a deed that contains conflicting calls, what is the controlling purpose of the court?

  1. The assessor's map of the parcel.
  2. The present owner's understanding of the line.
  3. The parties' intent as expressed in the deed. Correct answer.
  4. The intention of the surveyor who set the monuments.

Explanation

The paramount rule of deed construction is to give effect to the intention of the parties as it appears in the instrument. Technical canons such as monument-over-distance exist only as aids to discovering that intent.

Question 18Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

Land along a river erodes away gradually over 30 years while the owner's deed still recites the original acreage. What is the effect on the boundary?

  1. The boundary remains at the line of the original federal patent.
  2. The boundary becomes the meander line shown of record.
  3. The state must compensate the owner for the eroded acreage.
  4. The boundary follows the water and the land is lost. Correct answer.

Explanation

Erosion is the gradual counterpart of accretion: when land is worn away imperceptibly, the water boundary moves with it and the riparian owner's land is reduced without compensation.

Question 19Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

A marked stone bearing the original government scribe and a mound of stone is found 12 feet from the position computed by proportionate measurement, while a fence built in 1940 runs through the computed position. Which is the best evidence of the section corner?

  1. The fence corner built in 1940.
  2. The original marked stone. Correct answer.
  3. The junction of the two occupation lines.
  4. The computed proportionate position.

Explanation

An original monument that is identifiable and undisturbed is the best evidence of the corner it was set to mark. Proportionate measurement is a rule of necessity that applies only when the corner is genuinely lost.

Question 20Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

A lost interior section corner is to be restored and the four surrounding section corners are found in their original positions. Which procedure applies?

  1. Single proportionate measurement between the nearest corners.
  2. The midpoint of the occupation lines bounding the section.
  3. Double proportionate measurement from the four found corners. Correct answer.
  4. A rerun of the government bearing and distance from the nearest corner.

Explanation

When an interior corner is lost and the four corners about it are existent, double proportionate measurement is used: the position is first proportioned north-south and then east-west between the found corners.

Question 21Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

A parcel is bounded by a river that was navigable at the time of the federal survey. Under California law, the upland owner's title extends to:

  1. the ordinary high water mark. Correct answer.
  2. the meander line of the government survey.
  3. the thread of the stream.
  4. the low water mark of the opposite shore.

Explanation

For waters navigable at statehood, California holds the bed in trust for the public and the upland boundary is the ordinary high water mark. Title to the thread of the stream applies only to non-navigable watercourses.

Question 22Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

A corner position can be recovered from the testimony of the surveyor who set it and from the remains of its bearing trees, but the monument itself is gone. The corner is properly classified as:

  1. a lost corner.
  2. a meander corner.
  3. a closing corner.
  4. an obliterated corner. Correct answer.

Explanation

An obliterated corner is one whose monument is destroyed but whose position can still be recovered from evidence such as bearing trees, accessory marks, or reliable testimony. A corner is lost only when its position cannot be recovered from any evidence.

Question 23Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

For 30 years an owner has crossed a neighbor's land on a gravel drive, openly and without permission, to reach a public road, but has never paid taxes on the drive. In an action to quiet title to the drive, the claimant will most likely:

  1. lose, because no boundary can be established by use.
  2. obtain a prescriptive easement but not title to the fee. Correct answer.
  3. win title to the fee, because 30 years exceeds the statute.
  4. obtain nothing, because a drive cannot be prescribed for.

Explanation

Continuous, open, adverse use for the five-year period creates a prescriptive easement, which requires no payment of taxes. Title to the fee by adverse possession fails because the claimant did not pay the taxes levied on the property.

Question 24Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

Land is described in a patent as bounded by a non-navigable stream, and the patent contains no statement to the contrary. Under California law, the boundary is:

  1. the low water mark on the owner's side.
  2. the nearest meander line of record.
  3. the ordinary high water mark.
  4. the thread, or middle, of the stream. Correct answer.

Explanation

For non-navigable streams, California follows the common-law rule that the riparian owner holds to the thread of the stream, with the bed divided at the middle line.

Question 25Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

The parties to a 1955 deed have always treated a hedge as the boundary, and the grantee's fence has followed that hedge for decades. In a later dispute over the deed's ambiguous description, the long occupation matters because:

  1. the hedge is a natural monument of record.
  2. a fence always prevails over a called monument.
  3. occupation automatically moves the line after five years.
  4. practical construction by the parties shows their intent. Correct answer.

Explanation

When a deed description is ambiguous, the practical construction the parties themselves placed on it, as evidenced by long-continued occupation, is strong evidence of what they intended the deed to mean.

Question 26Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

A monument placed near a corner to perpetuate its location when the corner itself cannot be occupied is called a:

  1. witness corner Correct answer.
  2. meander corner
  3. quarter corner
  4. closing corner

Explanation

A witness corner is an accessory monument set near the true corner, with bearings to the corner; it evidences but does not itself mark the corner. Meander, closing, and quarter corners are distinct corner types.

Question 27Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

What is the function of a meander line in the federal rectangular survey?

  1. It marks the thread of a non-navigable stream channel.
  2. It approximates the water for area computations. Correct answer.
  3. It establishes the ordinary high water mark as the boundary.
  4. It fixes the legal property boundary at the water's edge.

Explanation

Meander lines are run to approximate the sinuosities of a water body so that the area of fractional lots can be calculated. The water itself, not the meander line, is generally the boundary.

Question 28Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

A deed describes land as 'Lot 7 as shown on the map of Trailside Estates recorded in Book 12 of Maps, page 44.' What is the effect of this reference?

  1. It incorporates the recorded map into the deed. Correct answer.
  2. It makes the map subordinate to any later survey.
  3. It makes the map control over all other calls in the deed.
  4. It requires metes and bounds to be added for validity.

Explanation

A deed may describe land by reference to a recorded map, and the map is incorporated into the deed as part of the description. The reference does not by itself make the map control over every other call.

Question 29Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

Why did original government surveyors record bearing trees at section corners?

  1. To show which owner paid the survey costs.
  2. To evidence the corner's location physically. Correct answer.
  3. To fix the magnetic declination used in the survey.
  4. To mark the exact mathematical center of the section.

Explanation

Bearing trees are accessory evidence described by species, diameter, and bearing and distance from the corner; they help identify or reestablish the corner if the monument is disturbed.

Question 30Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

What distinguishes a lost corner from an obliterated corner?

  1. A lost corner has been physically destroyed; an obliterated corner has been moved out of place.
  2. A lost corner can be restored by proportion; an obliterated corner can never be restored at all.
  3. A lost corner is always a section corner; an obliterated corner is always a quarter corner.
  4. A lost corner has no positional evidence; an obliterated corner's position can be recovered. Correct answer.

Explanation

A lost corner has no reliable evidence of its original location and must be restored by proportionate methods; an obliterated corner's location can still be recovered from accessory evidence or testimony.

Question 31Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

A deed conveys 'the lot I bought from Smith in 1980,' but the grantor bought two lots from Smith that year. What type of ambiguity is this, and is parol evidence admissible?

  1. Patent ambiguity; parol evidence is admissible to vary the deed.
  2. Latent ambiguity; parol evidence is admissible to identify it. Correct answer.
  3. Patent ambiguity; parol evidence is inadmissible.
  4. Latent ambiguity; parol evidence is inadmissible.

Explanation

A latent ambiguity arises when the description appears certain but proves uncertain when applied to the ground; extrinsic evidence is admissible to identify the intended parcel. A patent ambiguity appears on the face of the deed and generally cannot be cured by parol evidence.

Question 32Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

A deed calls for both a 30-inch oak tree and an iron pipe to mark the same corner, and the two are found in different locations. Which call generally controls?

  1. The iron pipe, because artificial monuments are more precise.
  2. The area recital, because it reflects the parties' intent.
  3. The distance recited in the deed, because both monuments conflict.
  4. The oak tree, as natural monuments rank higher. Correct answer.

Explanation

In the hierarchy of calls, natural monuments generally control over artificial monuments, which in turn control over courses, distances, and area.

Question 33Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

A deed omits a 10-foot strip because of a scrivener's error that both parties intended to include. What must be shown to reform the deed?

  1. Clear and convincing proof of mutual mistake. Correct answer.
  2. That the deed is ambiguous on its face.
  3. That the grantee has possessed the strip for five years.
  4. That the strip was separately assessed and taxed.

Explanation

Reformation requires clear and convincing evidence that the writing fails to express the parties' actual agreement because of a mutual mistake or scrivener's error. Adverse possession concepts such as possession and tax payment do not reform a deed.

Question 34Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

A deed conveys a lot bounded on the east by a public street, and the grantor owns the fee to the street's center. What is the boundary in the absence of contrary intent?

  1. The entire street in fee simple absolute, free of any easement.
  2. The near edge of the street right-of-way as dedicated.
  3. The curb line as actually constructed by the city.
  4. The street centerline, subject to the public easement. Correct answer.

Explanation

A conveyance bounded by a street generally carries to the centerline of the street unless a contrary intent appears, subject to the public right of passage.

Question 35Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

A deed conveys Lot 10 'except the south 30 feet thereof.' Lot 10 is 120 feet deep and 60 feet wide. What does the grantee receive?

  1. The north 30 feet of Lot 10.
  2. The north 90 feet of Lot 10. Correct answer.
  3. The south 30 feet of Lot 10.
  4. The entire Lot 10.

Explanation

An exception removes the described portion from the grant; the grantee takes the remainder, here the north 90 feet of the lot.

Question 36Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

A surveyor finds an old iron pipe on a deed line, but the deed does not call for any monument at that point. How should the pipe be treated?

  1. It controls because any found monument controls.
  2. It controls only if it matches the distance.
  3. It does not control the deed line. Correct answer.
  4. It controls if it is older than the deed.

Explanation

A monument not called for in the deed is an uncalled-for monument; it may be evidence, but it does not control the location of the line described by the deed calls.

Question 37Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

Neighbors have treated a mistaken fence line as their boundary for 20 years, but they never discussed or agreed on it. What is the general effect in California?

  1. Mere acquiescence does not move the boundary. Correct answer.
  2. The fence becomes the boundary by adverse possession.
  3. The fence becomes the boundary by prescription.
  4. The fence becomes the boundary by estoppel.

Explanation

Acquiescence alone does not establish a boundary; California requires an agreement fixing an uncertain line, or facts supporting estoppel, in addition to the parties' conduct.

Question 38Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

Under the equal footing doctrine, California's title to the beds of navigable waters was determined as of what date and by what test?

  1. The patent date, by whether the patent reserved the bed.
  2. Statehood, by whether the water is affected by tides.
  3. Statehood, by navigability in fact for commerce. Correct answer.
  4. The federal survey, by whether the water was meandered.

Explanation

Under the equal footing doctrine, title to the beds of navigable waters passed to California at statehood in 1850; navigability is tested as of that date under the federal test of susceptibility to use for commerce.

Question 39Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

For land bordering tidal waters in California, which line generally separates private upland from state-owned tidelands?

  1. The mean high tide line. Correct answer.
  2. The line of ordinary low water.
  3. The mean low tide line.
  4. The thread of the channel.

Explanation

The state's tidelands extend landward to the ordinary high water mark, which for tidal waters is identified with the mean high tide line; the upland owner's boundary is that line.

Question 40Boundary Determination and Evidence Evaluation

A landowner builds a fence 10 feet onto the neighbor's land, and the neighbor, knowing the true line, stands by while the owner builds a garage against the fence. What doctrine may fix the boundary at the fence?

  1. Adverse possession, because the owner paid taxes.
  2. Prescription, because the use was open and continuous.
  3. Boundary by agreement, because the fence was built.
  4. Boundary by estoppel, because of knowing acquiescence. Correct answer.

Explanation

Boundary by estoppel can apply when one owner, with knowledge of the true line, acquiesces in the other's improvement so that it would be inequitable to later enforce the true line. A mere fence or use does not alone establish an agreed boundary.

Question 41California Coordinate System and Geodetic Surveying

Which reference ellipsoid underlies the California Coordinate System of 1983 (CCS83)?

  1. Clarke 1866
  2. International 1924
  3. GRS 80 Correct answer.
  4. Bessel 1841

Explanation

The North American Datum of 1983, and therefore CCS83, is defined on the GRS 80 ellipsoid. Older datums used different figures, which is one reason coordinates cannot be transferred between datums without transformation.

Question 42California Coordinate System and Geodetic Surveying

All zones of the California Coordinate System of 1927 (CCS27) are based on which map projection?

  1. Lambert conformal conic Correct answer.
  2. Oblique Mercator
  3. Transverse Mercator
  4. Albers equal-area conic

Explanation

Every CCS27 zone uses the Lambert conformal conic projection, which preserves angles and holds scale closely to true along two chosen standard parallels. The conformal property is what allows grid azimuths and angles to be carried directly from the ellipsoid.

Question 43California Coordinate System and Geodetic Surveying

In the California Coordinate System of 1983, published state plane coordinates are expressed in which unit?

  1. International feet
  2. Chains
  3. Meters Correct answer.
  4. U.S. survey feet

Explanation

The metric system was adopted for the 1983 readjustment, so CCS83 coordinates are defined in meters. Surveyors who need feet must convert using the statutory foot definition.

Question 44California Coordinate System and Geodetic Surveying

The orthometric height H of a point is obtained from its ellipsoid height h and the geoid height N by which relationship?

  1. H = h + N
  2. H = h − N Correct answer.
  3. H = h × N
  4. H = N − h

Explanation

Ellipsoid height is measured above the ellipsoid, while orthometric height is measured above the geoid. Because the geoid lies below the ellipsoid where N is negative in the conterminous United States, the geoid height is subtracted from the ellipsoid height.

Question 45California Coordinate System and Geodetic Surveying

Within a state plane zone, the convergence angle (mapping angle) at a point is the angle between which pair of directions?

  1. Geodetic north and magnetic north
  2. Grid east and grid north
  3. Grid north and geodetic north Correct answer.
  4. Grid north and magnetic north

Explanation

Convergence measures how far the grid's north direction departs from true (geodetic) north at a specific point. It grows with distance from the zone's central meridian and must be applied when converting between grid and geodetic azimuths.

Question 46California Coordinate System and Geodetic Surveying

The boundaries between the zones of the California Coordinate System generally follow which kind of feature?

  1. Lines of constant latitude
  2. Major rivers and ridgelines
  3. Highway centerlines
  4. County lines Correct answer.

Explanation

California's zones were laid out along county boundaries so that a given parcel lies wholly within one zone. This makes it administratively simple to record and describe state plane coordinates for properties.

Question 47California Coordinate System and Geodetic Surveying

Which vertical datum is the standard reference for orthometric heights on current California survey control?

  1. Tidal datum of 1960
  2. MSL 1929
  3. NAVD 88 Correct answer.
  4. NGVD 29

Explanation

The North American Vertical Datum of 1988 replaced NGVD 29 for vertical control throughout the conterminous United States, including California. Published bench mark elevations today are normally NAVD 88 heights.

Question 48California Coordinate System and Geodetic Surveying

In state plane coordinate computations, a horizontal position is conventionally written as an ordered pair in which order?

  1. Longitude, then latitude
  2. Easting, then northing
  3. Northing, then easting Correct answer.
  4. Latitude, then longitude

Explanation

State plane coordinates follow the y, x convention, so northing is stated first and easting second. This parallels the mathematical ordering of a y-coordinate before an x-coordinate.

Question 49California Coordinate System and Geodetic Surveying

CCS27 coordinates are referenced to the North American Datum of 1927, which is defined on which ellipsoid?

  1. Clarke 1866 Correct answer.
  2. Clarke 1880
  3. WGS 84
  4. GRS 80

Explanation

NAD27 was computed on the Clarke 1866 ellipsoid, so all CCS27 coordinates inherit that figure of the Earth. The change to GRS 80 accompanied the shift to NAD83.

Question 50California Coordinate System and Geodetic Surveying

Which projection is used for Zone 6, the southernmost zone of the California Coordinate System of 1983?

  1. Polyconic
  2. Secant azimuthal
  3. Transverse Mercator Correct answer.
  4. Lambert conformal conic

Explanation

CCS83 Zones 1 through 5 use the Lambert conformal conic projection, but Zone 6 was defined on the Transverse Mercator projection. The change was made to hold scale distortion within limits for that zone's north-south extent.