GA Land Surveyor flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Curvature and refraction correction

Combined effect that makes a level line appear to drop: about 0.0206 times the square of the distance in kilometers, subtracted from the rod reading.

Earth curvature drop

Vertical distance the earth's surface falls below a horizontal line over a given distance; equals about 0.0231 times the square of the distance in kilometers.

Refraction effect

Bending of light rays downward through the atmosphere, roughly one-seventh of the curvature drop, which partially offsets curvature in leveling sights.

Latitude

North-south component of a traverse leg, computed as the distance times the cosine of the azimuth; north is positive, south is negative.

Departure

East-west component of a traverse leg, computed as the distance times the sine of the azimuth; east is positive, west is negative.

Linear error of closure

Straight-line distance between the computed and the starting traverse point, found as the square root of the sum of squared latitude and departure errors.

Relative precision

Ratio of traverse closure error to total traverse length, expressed as 1 to some number; a smaller closure error gives a larger denominator.

Compass rule

Adjustment method that distributes latitude and departure errors in proportion to each leg's length, also called the Bowditch rule.

Area by coordinates

Shoelace formula: twice the area equals the sum of cross products of successive coordinates around the boundary; take the absolute value and halve it.

Height of instrument

Elevation of the leveling instrument's line of sight, computed as the backsight elevation plus the backsight rod reading.

Azimuth to bearing

Conversion rule: azimuths 0 to 90 give northeast bearings, 90 to 180 give southeast, 180 to 270 give southwest, and 270 to 360 give northwest.

Slope correction

Difference between slope distance and horizontal distance, equal to the slope distance minus the slope distance times the cosine of the vertical angle.

Angular misclosure

Difference between the sum of measured traverse angles and the theoretical sum; for a closed polygon the theoretical sum is (n minus 2) times 180 degrees.

Differential leveling

Procedure that determines elevation difference between two points by subtracting the foresight reading from the backsight reading at each instrument setup.

Order of evidence

Rule for retracing boundaries: natural monuments control over artificial monuments, which control over distances, which control over area or quantity.

Adverse possession elements

Possession must be actual, open and notorious, exclusive, hostile, and continuous for the statutory period to ripen into title.

Standard of care

Degree of care and skill a reasonably prudent surveyor in the same locality would exercise under similar circumstances; the basis for negligence claims.

Responsible charge

Licensed surveyor who personally directs and controls the survey work and signs and seals the resulting plats and documents.

Seal and signature

Requirement that final survey documents bear the licensed surveyor's seal and signature, certifying that the work meets applicable standards.

Record retention

Statutory or board requirement that surveyors keep field notes, plats, and related records for a specified period, often several years.

Conflict of interest

Situation where a surveyor has a financial or personal interest in the property or outcome that could bias professional judgment and must be disclosed.

Statute of limitations

Time limit within which a negligence claim must be filed; the clock may start at the survey date or at discovery of the error.

Discovery rule

Legal principle that a limitations period begins when the injured party discovers, or should have discovered, the survey error.

Errors and omissions insurance

Professional liability coverage protecting surveyors against claims of negligent work; it does not cover intentional or fraudulent acts.

Allowable misclosure

Tolerance for closing a level loop, often a constant times the square root of the loop length, with the constant set by survey order.

Angular closure tolerance

Permissible angular misclosure in a traverse, commonly the instrument accuracy times the square root of the number of angles measured.

Duty to report errors

Professional obligation to notify affected parties and correct the record when a surveyor discovers a significant error in prior survey work.

Monumentation

Placement of durable physical markers at boundary corners; monuments generally control over recorded distances when boundary evidence is weighed.

Constructive notice

Legal notice presumed from recorded documents in the public record, binding parties who could have discovered the recorded survey or deed.

Liability to third parties

Extent to which a surveyor may owe duties to parties beyond the client, such as lenders or subsequent purchasers relying on the survey.

Continuing education requirement

Periodic professional development hours mandated by the licensing board to maintain an active land surveyor license.

Unauthorized practice

Performing or offering land surveying services without a valid license, which is subject to board discipline and legal penalties.