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© 2001 Global COGO, Inc Las Cruces, NM 88003

The history of geodesy includes early work by Pythagoras, Aristotle and Eratosthenes to determine the shape and size of the Earth. Later contributions include Arabic efforts in the 9th century, triangulation networks in Europe in the 1600s and 1700s, and French expeditions to South America and Lapland that confirmed the Earth is oblate spheroid in shape.

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30 views1 page

© 2001 Global COGO, Inc Las Cruces, NM 88003

The history of geodesy includes early work by Pythagoras, Aristotle and Eratosthenes to determine the shape and size of the Earth. Later contributions include Arabic efforts in the 9th century, triangulation networks in Europe in the 1600s and 1700s, and French expeditions to South America and Lapland that confirmed the Earth is oblate spheroid in shape.

Uploaded by

Marris Bae
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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HISTORY OF GEODESY

The history of geodesy includes much more than can be covered in summary
fashion, but certain highlights are notable:

· Pythagoras (born 582 B.C.) declared the earth to be a globe.

· Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) concluded the earth must be spherical.

· Eratosthenes, an Alexandrine scientist, (276-195 B.C.) is given credit for


first measuring earth's size. His results were about 16% too big.

· Poseidonius (135-50 B.C.) also determined earth's size using arc mea-
surements between Rhodes and Alexandria. Results still 11% too large.

· Arabian efforts about 827 A.D. near Baghdad by the caliph Abdullah al
Mamun gave an answer only about 3.6% too large.

Little is recorded in western literature, but see Smith (1986), about geodesy until
after the Middle Ages. However with invention of the telescope in the early 1600's,
publication of 14 place logarithms and use of triangulation for arc measurement,
many advancements were made. Later developments also included the theory of
gravity, differential & integral calculus, standardization of length and introduction
of least squares adjustment.

· In 1615 a Dutchman, Willebrord Snellius, measured an arc more than 80


miles long with a series of 33 triangles. His computation of the earth's
circumference was too small by about 3.4 percent.

· In 1669-70 a Frenchman, Jean Picard, measured an arc on the meridian


through Paris and obtained results too large by only 0.7 percent. An
interesting note here is that Newton needed and used Picard's
measurements in development of his theory of universal gravitation which
he published in 1687. Newton also concluded the earth is flattened at the
poles due to earth's rotation.

· Picard's work was extended north to Dunkirk and south to Collioure by the
Cassini brothers about 1700. The total arc was about 8° 20' but the arc was
computed in two segments--the parts north and south of Paris. The radius
of the earth determined from the northern portion was shorter than that
computed from the southern portion. Hence the Cassini's concluded, in fact
insisted, the earth is elongated at the poles.

· In 1735 & 1736 two geodetic surveying expeditions were sent by the French
Academy of Science to Peru (Bouguer) and Lapland (Maupertuis) to make
precise measurements to settle the dispute. Results showed quite
conclusively the earth is flattened at the poles.

© 2001 Global COGO, Inc Las Cruces, NM 88003

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