NM Land Surveyor flashcards

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

Priority of boundary evidence

Natural monuments control over artificial monuments, which control over courses and distances, which control over area; this hierarchy resolves conflicts in retracement and deed interpretation.

Proportionate measurement

Method to re-establish a lost corner by proportioning the record distances along a line between two existing original corners; applies only when no direct evidence exists.

Riparian thread boundary

On non-navigable streams, the boundary typically follows the thread (middle) of the stream; on navigable waters the ordinary high water mark generally governs.

Adverse possession elements

Use must be actual, open, notorious, exclusive, hostile, and continuous for the statutory period; New Mexico generally also requires color of title and tax payment.

Spanish and Mexican land grants

Grants predating the PLSS in New Mexico carry senior rights; their boundaries must be researched before any PLSS retracement or boundary determination.

New Mexico State Engineer

Administers water rights under prior appropriation; water rights are separate from land title and are not conveyed automatically with real property.

New Mexico surveyor licensure

The Professional Surveyors Licensing Board under the Regulation and Licensing Department licenses land surveyors; only licensees may prepare boundary and subdivision plats for filing.

Township section numbering

Sections are numbered serpentine from the northeast corner: 1-6 east to west, 7-12 west to east, continuing to section 36 in the southeast corner.

Standard parallels and guide meridians

Correction lines run every 24 miles north and south of the base line; guide meridians run every 24 miles east and west of the principal meridian to control convergence.

Double proportionate measurement

Used to re-establish a lost corner interior to two lines, such as a section corner at the intersection of two proportioned lines; each line is proportioned separately.

Meander corner

Set at the intersection of a section line with a meanderable water body; the meander line is not a boundary and does not close the fractional section area.

New Mexico State Plane zones

New Mexico uses two Lambert Conformal Conic zones: East (FIPS 3001) and West (FIPS 3002); grid distances must be converted to ground distances.

Grid-to-ground conversion

Ground distance equals grid distance divided by the product of the map projection scale factor and the elevation factor; elevation factor is R/(R+h).

Geoid separation

Relates ellipsoid and orthometric heights: H = h - N, where N is the geoid separation from the current geoid model such as GEOID18.

Convergence angle

Difference between true (geodetic) azimuth and grid azimuth at a point; must be applied when converting between true north and grid north.

Total station corrections

Apply atmospheric corrections for temperature and pressure and the prism constant; horizontal distance equals slope distance times cosine of the vertical angle.

RTK fixed solution

Survey-grade GNSS positions require a fixed integer ambiguity solution; accuracy degrades with baseline length, poor PDOP, and ionospheric activity.

Level loop misclosure

Allowable misclosure is commonly expressed as C times the square root of loop length in miles or kilometers; C depends on the order and class of leveling.

Compass rule adjustment

Distributes traverse closure error in proportion to line length; the transit rule distributes proportionally to latitude and departure magnitudes instead.

Traverse relative precision

Linear misclosure equals the square root of the sum of squared latitude and departure closures; relative precision is total length divided by misclosure.

Least squares adjustment

Minimizes the sum of squared residuals using a stochastic model; produces residuals, a reference factor, and error ellipses for the adjusted coordinates.

Horizontal curve formulas

Tangent T = R tan(Delta/2); length L = R times Delta in radians; chord = 2R sin(Delta/2); these relate radius, deflection angle, and curve geometry.

Subdivision plat contents

Plats must show lot lines, bearings and distances, curve data, dedicated rights-of-way, easements, and the surveyor's seal and certification.

Dedication of streets

Dedication is an offer to the public that requires acceptance by the governing body; until accepted, no public right vests in the street.

Easement description requirements

Must identify burdened and benefited parcels, location and width, and purpose; metes-and-bounds descriptions should close and be tied to a monument or recorded corner.

ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey

Follows current ALTA/NSPS standards and Table A optional items; the surveyor must state the standard and the optional items performed.

Vertical curve formula

Elevation equals PVC elevation plus g1 times x plus (g2 minus g1) divided by twice L, times x squared, where g values are grades and L is curve length.

End-area volume method

Volume equals length times the average of the two end areas; a prismoidal correction applies for transition sections, and shrinkage and swell factors affect earthwork quantities.

Photographic scale

Scale of a vertical aerial photo equals focal length divided by flying height above ground; a larger scale yields more ground detail.

Ground sample distance

GSD equals pixel size times flying height divided by focal length; a smaller GSD indicates higher image resolution.

Standard of care

The degree of care and skill a reasonably prudent surveyor would exercise under similar circumstances; it defines the benchmark for negligence claims.

Contingent fee prohibition

Basing a survey fee on the outcome of a boundary determination is unethical; fees should reflect scope and effort rather than the result.