LA Land Surveyor flashcards

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

Priority of Evidence

In boundary retracement, natural monuments rank highest, then artificial monuments, then courses and distances, then area, unless the whole of the deed shows a different intent.

Lost Corner

A corner whose position cannot be recovered from physical evidence; it is reestablished by proportionate measurement between the nearest existing original corners.

Meander Line

A line run along a water body to determine the approximate area of the upland; it is not the legal boundary, which follows the water.

Adverse Possession

Acquisition of title by open, notorious, exclusive, hostile, and continuous possession for the statutory period, which in California is generally five years.

Record of Survey

A map filed with the county surveyor under Business and Professions Code §8762 when material evidence differs from record or a corner is reestablished.

Responsible Charge

The professional supervision under which surveying work is performed; a licensee may seal only work done under their responsible charge.

Standard of Care

The degree of care and skill ordinarily exercised by reputable surveyors in the same or similar circumstances and locality.

Statute of Limitations

The time within which a legal action must be brought; in California, four years for written contracts and two years for oral contracts.

Combined Factor

The product of the elevation factor and the grid scale factor, used to convert ground distances to grid distances in State Plane coordinates.

Elevation Factor

The ratio R/(R+h) where R is the earth radius and h is the height above the ellipsoid; it reduces ground distance to the ellipsoid.

Geoid Separation

The difference N between the ellipsoid and the geoid, so that orthometric height H equals ellipsoid height h minus N.

Convergence Angle

The angle between grid north and true north at a point, used to convert grid azimuths to true azimuths and vice versa.

Prism Constant

A fixed offset added to or subtracted from EDM measurements to account for the difference between the instrument and reflector reference points.

Traverse Closure

The linear error of closure is the square root of the sum of squared easting and northing misclosures; relative precision is closure divided by perimeter.

Two-Peg Test

A field procedure that checks the collimation error of a level by comparing rod readings at equal and unequal distances.

RTK Accuracy

Real-time kinematic GNSS typically achieves 1–2 cm horizontal and 2–4 cm vertical accuracy, depending on baseline length and satellite geometry.

Photo Scale

The scale of a vertical aerial photograph equals the focal length divided by the flying height above ground.

Relief Displacement

The radial displacement of an object's image on a photograph due to its height above the datum; it is zero at the nadir point.

Ground Sample Distance

The ground distance represented by one pixel in a digital image, computed as pixel size times flying height divided by focal length.

NDVI

The normalized difference vegetation index, computed as (NIR − Red)/(NIR + Red), indicating vegetation health and density.

Map Scale

The ratio of map distance to ground distance; a 1:24,000 scale map has one inch representing 2,000 feet on the ground.

Contour Interval

The vertical distance between adjacent contour lines; index contours are heavier and labeled to aid elevation reading.

Map Projection

A mathematical transformation from the curved earth surface to a flat map; all projections distort area, shape, distance, or direction.

Generalization

The process of reducing map detail at smaller scales through simplification, smoothing, aggregation, and displacement of features.

Tentative Map

A preliminary subdivision map filed with the local agency for discretionary approval before a final or parcel map is recorded.

Parcel Map

A subdivision map required for divisions creating four or fewer lots, subject to the Subdivision Map Act and local ordinance.

Lot Line Adjustment

A adjustment of boundaries between four or fewer existing parcels under Government Code §66412(d), not a subdivision.

Certificate of Compliance

A document issued by a local agency to legalize an existing parcel that does not conform to current subdivision standards.

Slope Staking

Setting grade stakes at a specified offset from the centerline to mark cut or fill for construction grading.

As-Built Survey

A survey documenting constructed conditions, compared to design drawings for payment, acceptance, and record purposes.

Machine Control

A construction guidance system using 3D models and GNSS or total station data to control grading equipment automatically.

Vector Data

A GIS data model representing geographic features as points, lines, and polygons with associated attribute tables.

Topology

A set of rules defining spatial relationships such as adjacency, connectivity, and containment, preventing gaps and overlaps in vector data.