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surveying

thumb|alt= A woman holding a notebook crouches next to a theodolite on a tripod. The instrument is set up on a bank in a forest.|A surveyor using a total station thumb|upright|A student using a theodolite in field

AI overview

Surveying is the practice of measuring and mapping land, buildings, or other features using specialized instruments like theodolites and total stations to determine precise locations and distances. It matters because accurate surveys provide essential information for construction projects, property boundaries, infrastructure development, and creating detailed maps.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

~46 min read

Encyclopedic overview

34 sections

Contents

Definition
History
Ancient history
Modern era
20th century
21st century
Equipment
Hardware
Software
Techniques
Distance measurement
Angle measurement
Leveling
Determining position
Reference networks
Datum and coordinate systems
Errors and accuracy
Types
Plane vs. geodetic surveying
On the basis of the instrument used
Profession
Licensing
Surveying institutions
Building surveying
Cadastral surveying{{anchor|Cadastral}}
Quantity surveying
Notable surveyors
See also
Types and methods
Geospatial survey organizations
Other
References
Further reading
External links

Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial positions of points based on the distances and angles between them. These points are usually on the surface of the Earth, and they are often used to establish maps and boundaries for ownership, locations, such as the designated positions of structural components for construction or the surface location of subsurface features, or other purposes required by government or civil law, such as property sales.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “surveying” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.