KY Land Surveyor flashcards

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

Adverse possession period

In Kentucky, adverse possession generally requires actual, hostile, open and notorious, exclusive, and continuous possession for 15 years under KRS 413.010 before title vests in the possessor.

Priority of calls

A retracement resolves conflicts by preferring natural monuments, then artificial monuments, then courses and distances, and finally area or quantity, which yields first when it conflicts with monuments.

Riparian accretion rule

Under the common-law rule followed in Kentucky, gradual accretion belongs to the riparian owner, but avulsion, a sudden change in the stream, does not move the boundary line.

Prescriptive easement

A prescriptive easement in Kentucky requires continuous use for the 15-year statutory period; use is presumed permissive where it is not adverse or not known to the servient owner.

Recording and notice

Recording a deed or plat in the county clerk's office gives constructive notice to the world; an unrecorded interest may be cut off under Kentucky recording statutes such as KRS 382.

Boundary by acquiescence

Kentucky recognizes boundary by acquiescence where adjoining owners treat a line as the boundary for a long period, even without a written agreement, if the conduct is clear and consistent.

Retracement principle

Retracement re-establishes the original survey rather than creating new boundaries; original monuments control over later resurvey measurements, and the surveyor recovers rather than replaces evidence.

Proportionate measurement

A lost corner between two found corners is restored by distributing the record distance error in proportion to the measured distances from each controlling corner to the lost position.

Single vs double proportion

Single proportion restores a lost corner on a line between two found corners; double proportion restores a lost corner at the intersection of two lines when corners exist at both ends of each line.

Meander line function

Meander lines along a watercourse do not bound the tract; they approximate the water for area computation, and the water itself is the boundary unless the deed states otherwise.

Accessory evidence

Bearing trees, mounds, and other accessories that witness a missing corner may be used to re-establish the corner position when the original monument itself cannot be recovered.

Traverse misclose

Linear misclose equals the square root of the sum of the squared latitudes plus the squared departures; relative precision is the perimeter divided by the linear misclose.

EDM atmospheric correction

EDM distances are corrected for atmospheric conditions using temperature and pressure; the instrument and prism constants must match, and the correction factor is applied to the measured distance.

RTK GNSS positioning

Real-time kinematic GNSS provides centimeter-level positions in a local datum after transformation from WGS84; the base must occupy a known point or a network RTK service must be used.

Leveling loop misclose

Leveling loop misclose is compared to an allowable error, often expressed as 0.05 ft times the square root of the distance in miles for ordinary leveling work.

DEM versus DSM

A digital elevation model represents bare-earth terrain, while a digital surface model includes vegetation and structures; the two are not interchangeable for drainage or earthwork computations.

LiDAR georeferencing

LiDAR and photogrammetric point clouds must be georeferenced to control points; checkpoints not used in the adjustment validate the accuracy of the derived surface.

Latitude and departure

Latitude equals distance times the cosine of the bearing, and departure equals distance times the sine of the bearing; both sums should close to zero around a closed traverse.

Compass rule

The compass rule distributes traverse misclose in proportion to the length of each course, while the transit rule distributes it in proportion to the latitude and departure magnitudes.

Kentucky State Plane

The Kentucky State Plane Coordinate System uses the Lambert Conformal Conic projection and is divided into a north zone and a south zone, each with its own parameters.

Combined scale factor

Grid distance equals ground distance times the combined scale factor, which is the product of the grid scale factor and the elevation factor, where elevation factor equals R divided by R plus h.

Azimuth versus bearing

Azimuth is measured clockwise from north through 360 degrees, while bearing is measured from north or south toward east or west and is always between 0 and 90 degrees.

Inverse transformation

Converting State Plane grid coordinates to latitude and longitude uses the inverse projection equations; the forward transformation converts geographic coordinates to grid coordinates.

Subdivision plat contents

A subdivision plat must show the tract boundary, lot lines, lot areas, street rights-of-way, easements, and the surveyor's certificate, and it is recorded in the county clerk's office.

Local plat regulation

Kentucky subdivision regulations are administered by local planning commissions under KRS Chapter 100; the surveyor should confirm local plat requirements before recording a plat.

Contour interval

Contour interval is the vertical distance between adjacent contours; steeper terrain produces closer contours, and contours connect points of equal elevation on the map.

Horizontal curve formulas

Curve length equals radius times delta in radians, tangent equals radius times the tangent of half delta, and degree of curve for a 100-ft arc equals 5729.58 divided by the radius.

Average end area method

Earthwork volume by average end area equals the length between sections times the sum of the two end areas divided by two; the prismoidal formula gives greater accuracy.

Vertical curve low point

A parabolic vertical curve reaches its high or low point where the grade changes sign; the offset from the tangent is computed from the curve length and the algebraic difference in grades.

Seal and responsible charge

A surveyor's seal and signature certify that the work was performed under the licensee's responsible charge; sealing work not performed or supervised by the licensee is a violation.

Conflict of interest

A surveyor must disclose conflicts of interest and may not accept compensation from more than one party for the same service without the knowledge and consent of all parties.

Scope of boundary survey

A boundary survey locates monuments and boundaries but is not a title opinion; the surveyor should state the purpose and limitations of the survey in the report.