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Spherical Excess &convergence of Meridian: DR. Mervat Amin

1) In geodetic surveying, the sum of a triangle's angles is 180 degrees plus the spherical excess, due to lines being curves on the ellipsoid rather than straight lines. 2) The spherical excess is calculated differently depending on the length of the triangle's sides: it can be neglected for sides under 10km, considered for sides 10-200km, and must be treated using ellipsoidal formulas for sides over 200km. 3) In geodetic surveying, the difference between forward and backward azimuths is not 180 degrees due to meridians not being parallel, whereas in plane surveying it is exactly 180 degrees. Formulas are provided to calculate the convergence of mer

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Mohamed AlMokhtar
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231 views7 pages

Spherical Excess &convergence of Meridian: DR. Mervat Amin

1) In geodetic surveying, the sum of a triangle's angles is 180 degrees plus the spherical excess, due to lines being curves on the ellipsoid rather than straight lines. 2) The spherical excess is calculated differently depending on the length of the triangle's sides: it can be neglected for sides under 10km, considered for sides 10-200km, and must be treated using ellipsoidal formulas for sides over 200km. 3) In geodetic surveying, the difference between forward and backward azimuths is not 180 degrees due to meridians not being parallel, whereas in plane surveying it is exactly 180 degrees. Formulas are provided to calculate the convergence of mer

Uploaded by

Mohamed AlMokhtar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Spherical excess &Convergence of meridian

DR. Mervat Amin


Spherical excess
The difference between plane surveying and geodetic surveying is the difference between the
plane triangle and the geodetic/ellipsoidal triangle. In geodetic surveying the sum of the
triangle's angles is 180 degrees plus spherical excess. This excess is due to that the lines are
considered curves and not straight. i.e.
Sum of triangle's angles = 180 deg. + E
Where E" = spherical excess = sum - 180 deg.
E (in radian) = F / R2
E (in degrees) = F / R2 *  / 180
E"=F/R2 sin 1“
Where R is the radius of curvature of the earth, F is the area of the triangle.
of sides length reach to 10 km, the spherical
excess could be very small and can be neglected. While in triangles of sides' length between 10
k and 200 km, the spherical excess must be taken in consideration and can not be neglected.
Spherical excess

In triangles of sides lengths exceeds 200 km. the must be treated as ellipsoidal triangles and E
must be considered as spherical excess and compute using the following formulae:
E"= p . a . b . sin C/2M.N

Where M and N are the radii of curvature in meridian and prime vertical respectively. These
radii are computed as a function of the latitudes average of the vertices of the triangle.
Convergence of meridian

In plane surveying, difference between fore and back bearings is exactly 180 degrees while in geodetic surveying, the
difference between fore and back azimuths in not equal 180 degrees (see the shown below figure)

Plane surveying Geodetic surveying


Convergence of meridian
The bearing is the angle between the north direction and a line. Because the north is the same at all points on the
earth's surface. Then the difference between the fore and back bearings is 180 degrees. The azimuth is the angle
between a meridian and a line. Because the meridians are not parallel, then the difference between fore and back
azimuths is not 180 degrees.

The length of arc AB is given by


AB = R cos  . 

And also given by


AB = R cot  . c
Where R is the radius of the earth,
 is the latitude of A and B,
 is the difference in longitudes between A and B,
c is the convergence of meridian

then, R cos  .  = R cot  . c Convergence of meridian


then, c =  . sin 
This formula used for small distances.
If points A and B lying on different latitudes, the meridian convergence can be computed as
follows:

c" =  . sin m . sec /2 + ()3 . F


m = average latitudes of A and B
 = difference of latitudes of A and B
F = sin m .cos2 m sin2 1“

Assume points A and B lying in two meridians, the azimuth of AB is α AB measured w.r.t. the
meridian of A and that of BA is αBA measured w.r.t. the meridian of B, then we got:
αBA = αAB + c + 180 deg.

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