ND Land Surveyor flashcards

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

Priority of Evidence

The hierarchy used to resolve conflicting boundary calls: natural monuments, then artificial monuments, then courses and distances, then area. Record evidence controls over field measurements.

Adverse Possession Period

In North Dakota, adverse possession generally requires 20 years of actual, open, notorious, exclusive, hostile, and continuous possession under N.D.C.C. ch. 28-01, unless a shorter statutory provision applies.

Riparian Boundary Rule

For non-navigable streams the boundary is the thread of the stream; for navigable waters the state owns the bed and the boundary is the ordinary high water mark.

Boundary by Acquiescence

A doctrine fixing a boundary when adjoining owners mutually recognize and treat a line as the boundary for a period, rebuttable only by clear evidence of a different location.

Compass Rule Adjustment

A traverse adjustment distributing latitude and departure misclosure in proportion to each course length divided by the total perimeter, correcting both random and systematic error.

Latitude and Departure

Latitude equals distance times the cosine of the bearing; departure equals distance times the sine of the bearing. They are the north-south and east-west components of a course.

Area by Coordinates

Twice the area equals the sum around the traverse of E_i times N_(i+1) minus E_(i+1) times N_i. The sign indicates clockwise or counterclockwise point order.

Horizontal Curve Tangent

The tangent distance T equals R times the tangent of half the central angle. It is the straight-line distance from the PC or PT to the PI.

Combined Factor

Grid distance equals ground distance multiplied by the combined factor, which is the State Plane scale factor times the elevation factor R/(R + h).

Geoid Undulation

The separation N between the ellipsoid and the geoid. Orthometric height H equals ellipsoidal height h minus N, using a model such as GEOID18.

North Dakota State Plane Zones

North Dakota uses two Lambert Conformal Conic zones, North (3401) and South (3402), referenced to NAD83. Scale factor and convergence vary with longitude.

Curvature and Refraction

The combined correction for leveling sights is about 0.0206 times the distance in thousands of feet squared, in feet, and is reduced by balancing backsight and foresight lengths.

Photo Scale

The scale of a vertical aerial photograph equals the focal length divided by the flying height above ground, so scale changes as terrain elevation changes.

Relief Displacement

The radial displacement of an image point from the nadir caused by object height: d equals r times h divided by H, where r is radial distance and H is flying height.

NDVI Formula

The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index equals near-infrared minus red, divided by near-infrared plus red. Values range from minus one to one, with healthy vegetation typically 0.3 to 0.9.

Map Accuracy Standard

The National Map Accuracy Standards require 90 percent of well-defined points within 1/30 inch at map scale horizontally and within one-half contour interval vertically.

Conformal Projection

A map projection that preserves local angles and shapes at the expense of area, such as Lambert Conformal Conic and Transverse Mercator.

GIS Topology Rules

Rules that enforce spatial relationships in a dataset, such as no gaps, no overlaps, and no dangles, supporting network analysis and parcel fabric maintenance.

Geospatial Metadata

Descriptive information about a dataset, following FGDC or ISO 19115 standards, recording source, accuracy, projection, and lineage so users can judge fitness for use.

Parcel Fabric

A GIS dataset of parcel boundaries and attributes that must be reconciled with recorded deeds and plats. It is not a legal boundary unless officially adopted.

EDM Accuracy Specification

Electronic distance measurement accuracy is often stated as plus or minus a fixed part plus a proportional part, such as 2 mm plus 2 ppm of the measured distance.

RTK Fix Solution

A real-time kinematic GNSS solution using base station corrections, requiring at least five satellites and good PDOP, and checked against a known point at session start and end.

Balancing Level Sights

Keeping backsight and foresight distances equal cancels curvature, refraction, and collimation error, improving differential leveling accuracy.

Field Note Practice

Observations are recorded in a bound field book with date, weather, party, and instrument noted. Errors are struck through and initialed rather than erased.

Construction Staking

Setting horizontal and vertical control and staking offsets for construction, then checking as-built conditions against design before paving or pouring concrete.

Average End Area Volume

A volume computation method multiplying the average of two cross-section areas by the distance between them, used for cut and fill estimates along a corridor.

Rational Method

A stormwater peak flow estimate Q equals C times i times A, where C is runoff coefficient, i is rainfall intensity, and A is drainage area.

ADA Sidewalk Slope

Accessible sidewalk cross-slope must not exceed 2 percent, and running slope must not exceed 5 percent without landings, per accessibility standards.

Standard of Care

The degree of care and skill a reasonably prudent surveyor would exercise under similar circumstances, used to judge negligence in professional practice.

Seal and Signature

Only a licensed surveyor may sign and seal survey documents, and only for work performed or directly supervised by that licensee.

N.D.C.C. Chapter 43-19.1

The North Dakota statute governing licensure of professional engineers and land surveyors, administered by the State Board of Registration, including discipline and renewal.

North Dakota Minimum Standards

Board-adopted requirements for land boundary surveys in North Dakota, covering monumentation, accuracy, and filing of corner records with the county recorder.