MA Land Surveyor key terms

A physical object such as a stone, iron pin, or concrete post set in the ground to mark a property corner or survey point, intended to be permanent and identifiable.

The legally established point marking a boundary angle or terminus of a parcel or survey line; its legal position can differ from the physical monument that marks it.

Remnants, traces, or records indicating where an original boundary corner was located, such as old stakes, pits, mounds, bearing trees, or field notes, used to restore the corner's true position.

A tree marked or referenced in a survey record to help locate a corner; its position and markings are evidence of the original survey and are protected from removal.

A fixed, known-elevation point, often a brass disk set in stable ground or a structure, used as a reference for vertical control and elevation determination.

A new benchmark established by the surveyor at a chosen location, with its elevation determined relative to existing control, to support subsequent surveys in the area.

A network of points with known horizontal coordinates and high positional accuracy, used as the framework from which other surveys are extended and checked.

A network of points with known elevations, established by leveling or other means, providing the reference frame for determining heights of other points.

A survey method in which a series of connected lines is measured for length and direction, forming a path between known control points to establish new point positions.

A traverse that begins and ends at points of known position, or returns to its starting point, allowing misclosure to be computed and adjusted.

The discrepancy between a computed survey value and its known or expected value, such as the gap between a traverse's ending position and the control point it should match.

The systematic distribution of survey misclosure among measured observations, using a defined method, so the adjusted results satisfy geometric and control conditions.

An adjustment technique that minimizes the sum of squared residuals, producing the most probable values and enabling statistical assessment of survey accuracy and precision.

The difference between an observed measurement and its adjusted or computed value, used to evaluate the quality of the observation and the adjustment.

The horizontal angle measured clockwise from a reference direction, usually north, to a survey line, expressed in degrees from 0 to 360.

The direction of a line expressed as an angle from north or south toward east or west, always between 0 and 90 degrees, with a quadrant label such as N45E.

A sight taken to a previously known point to orient the instrument and establish the reference direction before measuring forward to new points.

A sight taken to a new or unknown point to determine its direction or elevation relative to the instrument setup, as distinguished from a backsight.

An electronic instrument combining an electronic theodolite with an electronic distance meter, recording horizontal and vertical angles and distances to compute point coordinates.

A method of measuring distance by timing or phase-comparing a modulated light or microwave signal traveling to a reflector or target and back.

A correction applied to electronically measured distances to account for the offset between the reflector's optical center and the point being measured, and for instrument internal offset.

A correction to electronic distance measurements for the effects of air temperature, pressure, and humidity on the speed of the measuring signal.

Global Navigation Satellite System; satellite-based positioning such as GPS, used in surveying for control establishment and point positioning, often with real-time kinematic techniques.

Real-Time Kinematic positioning, a GNSS technique using carrier-phase measurements and a base station or network correction to achieve centimeter-level positions in the field.

The process of determining elevation differences between points, commonly by reading a graduated rod through a leveling instrument set on a tripod.

A leveling procedure in which successive backsight and foresight readings are combined to carry elevations forward from a known benchmark to unknown points.

A line on a map or plan connecting points of equal elevation, used to depict terrain shape, slope steepness, and drainage patterns.

A survey that locates natural and man-made features and determines ground elevations, producing data for maps and plans showing terrain and improvements.

A boundary description method that states courses and distances, starting from a known point and following calls around the parcel to return to the beginning.

A single element of a boundary description, such as a bearing, distance, monument reference, or adjoining-owner reference, used to locate a boundary line.

A legal doctrine under which a person may acquire title to land through open, notorious, exclusive, hostile, and continuous possession for a statutory period.

A nonpossessory right to use another person's land for a specific purpose, such as access or utility passage, without owning the underlying land.

Acquisition of an easement or right by long, open, continuous use of another's land, analogous to adverse possession but creating a use right rather than title.

A recorded map of a subdivision or parcel showing boundaries, lots, streets, and dedications, which may control boundary location when referenced in deeds.

A strip of land dedicated or acquired for transportation, utility, or access purposes, within which the public or a utility holds defined use rights.

A defined reference framework, such as a state plane or national grid system, that assigns numeric values to positions so surveys can be tied to a common datum.

A mathematical transformation that maps positions on the curved earth surface onto a flat plane, introducing scale and direction distortions that must be managed.

The ratio between a distance on a map or projection plane and the corresponding distance on the reference ellipsoid or ground, used to convert between them.

The equipotential surface of the earth's gravity field approximating mean sea level, used as the reference for orthometric heights and elevation datums.

A reference surface or set of parameters, such as a horizontal or vertical datum, to which coordinate and elevation values are tied for consistent measurement.