Geometric Geodesy

Lecture 1
Introductiom
 Geodesy
Science of the measurement and mapping of the
earth’s surface. (F. R. Helmert (1880) )

An earth science that uses applied mathematics

which determines by measurements the

• Shape, size of the earth and position of points

(geometric geodesy)
• Gravity field of the earth (physical geodesy)
 The Problems of geodesy
• to determine the figure of the earth
physical surface-border between the solid
including the ocean floor or fluid masses and the
atmosphere.
true figure-between the topographical surface
and the surface waters of the earth tend to conform
because they are free to adjust themselves perfectly to
the forces acting upon them. - geoid
mathematical surface - ellipsoid
• to determine the external gravity field of the earth
 Figure of the Earth

True figure – geoid

Physical figure – earth surface
Mathematical figure – best fit Ellipsoid
hN+H
h= ellipsoidal height
N= geoid undulation
H= Orthometric height
 Goals of Geodesy
1. To obtain a mathematical model-an
ellipsoid that best approximates the
earth’s shape.

2. To determine the spatial location of

points on the earth.

3. To determine the true shape of the

earth-the geoid.
 Fields of Specialization

1. Geometric Geodesy –spatial positioning of

points on the earth's surface are based on the
ellipsoid.

2. Physical geodesy – observing the earth’s gravity

field to determine the physical surface –the geoid.

3. Satellite Geodesy – observing the gravity field

of the earth and determination of spatial position of
points through the use of artificial satellites.
 Related Earth Sciences

Geology- study of the structure of the earth or another planet,

especially its rocks, soil and minerals and its history and
origins.

Geography- study of all the earth’s physical features, including its

climate and the distribution of plant, animal, and human life

Geophysics- branch of earth science which studies the physical

forces that shape the earth.

Cryospheric Sciences- the study of the frozen part of the earth’s

surface, including the polar ice caps, continental ice sheets,
glaciers, sea ice, and permafrost.

Geomagnetism – study of the geomagnetic properties of the earth.

 Related Earth Sciences

Aeronomy – the study of the upper atmosphere of the earth above 50

km, including its cosmic and ionizing radiation.

Meteorology – the study of the Earth’s atmosphere, especially its

patterns of climate and weather.

Seismology- study of earthquakes

Volcanology – study of volcanoes, its formation, signs of an eruption,

and other aspects of volcanic activity.

Oceanography- study of oceans, including their chemistry, biology,

and geology.
 Universities/Institutes engaged in Geodesy
Germany 1. The Institut für Erdmessung in Hannover - specialises in astro-
geodetic zenith cameras and geoid computations for many European
countries
2. The Institut für Theoretische Geodäsie in Bonn (Geodesy, Radio
astronomy and GPS)
3. The Institut für Astronomische und Physikalische Geodäsie in
Munich, southern Germany.
Austria: The Austrian Institute for Geodesy and Geophysics, Vienna (astro-
geological geoid, IGS and VLBI)
Swirtzerland The Swiss Geodetic Institute at the ETH Zürich (geophysical geodesy,
GPS etc.)
U.S.A. Geodesy at Ohio State University, Columbus OH,
 Universities/Institutes engaged in Geodesy
Canada Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering, University of New Brunswick,

Geomatics Engineering at the University of Calgary,

Alberta,
Finland Department of Surveying at Helsinki University of Technology, Espoo,
Australia Department of Spatial Sciences, Curtin University of Technology,
Perth,
Malaysia Faculty of Geoinformation Science & Engineering, Malaysian
University of Technology, Johor Bahru,
Malaysia (http://geomatics.fksg.utm.my/index.htm)
Philippines Department of Geodetic Engineering -University of the Philippines
B.S. in Geodetic Engineering
Master of Science in Geomatics Engineering (MS GmE)
 Organizations and Institutions
International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics(IUGG)

•Associations

 International Association of Cryospheric Sciences (IACS)

 International Association of Geodesy (IAG)

 International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (IAGA)

 International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS)

 International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences (IAMAS)

 International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Oceans (IAPSO)

 International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth's Interior (IASPEI)

 International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI)

Beginning of the Science of Geodesy
 Homer
(750 BC-

Homer is the name of the Greek

poet who wrote the epic poems
the Iliad
and the Odyssey.

Homer (9th century BC) indicated that

the earth was a flat disk supporting a
hemispherical sky. There would only be
one horizon with time and length of day
independent of location.
 Pythagoras
(570-495 BC)
Pythagoras was credited with many
mathematical and scientific
discoveries, including the
Pythagorean theorem,
Pythagorean tuning, the
five regular solids, the
Theory of Proportions, the sphericity
of the Earth, and the identity of the
morning and evening stars as the
planet Venus.
 Aristotle
(384-322 BC)
Greek philosopher and polymath
during the Classical period in
Ancient Greece.
Pythagoras and Aristotle declared the
earth to be a sphere. Reasons for such
postulate were:

a) the changing horizon as one travels in various directions

b) the round shape of the earth observed during lunar
eclipse
c) the observation of a ship where more or less of the ship is
seen as the ship approaches (or goes away).
 Plato
(428-348 BC)
Athenian philosopher during the
Classical period in Ancient Greece,
founder of the Platonist school of
thought and the Academy, the first
institution of higher learning in the
Western world.

Plato postulated the radius of the earth to be

40,000 miles
 Archimedes
(287-212 BC)
Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer,
astronomer, and inventor.Regarded as one of
the leading scientists in classical antiquity.
Archimedes declared the radius of the earth to
be 30,000 miles.
 ERATOSTHENES
(276-195 BC)
Greek polymath: a mathematician,
geographer, poet,
astronomer, and music theorist.

Known for being the first person to calculate the

circumference of the Earth, which he did by using the
extensive survey results.
He was also the first to calculate Earth's axial tilt.
He created the first global projection of the world,
incorporating parallels and meridians based on the available
geographic knowledge of his era.
 Arc measurement of
Era stosthenes
7 1/5 deg

l l el
a ra from
P ys
ra n
su Rod Measured elevation of
Sun at Ale xandria

00 82 4/5 deg
50 adia
st
a
R
Well at
Syene
R

7 1/5 deg

Earth‘’s center

Illustration of Eratosthenes’ technique of computing the earth’s circumference

 Result of Measurement
• π=22/7 (Archimedes constant, 250 BC)
• 1 stadia = 1/10 mile
• 5000 stadia = 500 miles
• 7 1/2ᵒ = 0.131 radians

• Radius = 3892 miles

• Circumference= 24,464 miles
• radius of Earth = 6,267 km.
• present day mean radius = 6,371 km.
• Error = 2%
 Jean Piccard
(1669-1670)
• Frenchman, was the first to use a telescope with
spider-web cross hairs. He measured one degree of
latitude along the arc of the Paris meridian which
gave a result of 110.46 km with the aid of
triangulation network which gives a radius of
6328.9 km. which is 0.7 % less than the correct
value. Piccard was the first to use a telescope with
spider-web cross hairs in his quadrant. . He also
used vernier scales to improve the precision of
angular measurement.
 Beginning of Modern Geodesy
• 1609 Galileo introduced telescope for astronomical observation
• 1614 Publication of logarithmic tables John Napier Scot
• 1615 first triangulation to determine the figure the earth by Willeboard
Snellius
• 1667. Jean Piccard (France 1669-1670), was the first to use a
telescope with spider-web cross hairs.
• 1750’s James Watt first used stadia cross hairs on the telescope
• 1790 Metric System was adopted. the arc distance from the equator to
pole and established it to be 10,000,000 meters. This would serve to
be the definition of the meter as a natural unit of length.
• 1831 William J. Young in Philadelphia invented the first transit.
• 1920 the first optical micrometer theodolite introduced by Carl Zeiss
 Metric System
• 1790’s France adopted the metric system as the standard
measure for weights and lengths.- System International (SI)
• Meter was defined as the arc distance from pole to
equator to be 10,000,000 meters.
• 1 meter = platinum-iridium bar 1 m long at the
International Bureau of Weights and Measures (Paris)
• 1960, 1 meter=1,650,763.73 wavelengths of Kr-86 isotope
•At present 1 meter = length travelled by light in a
vacuum in a time interval of 1/299,792,458 s
• 1 foot = 0.3048 meter
 Development of Modern Surveying
Instruments
• 150 BC Dioptra (Greece)
• 1600’s Galileo’s telescope (Italy)
• 1631 Invention of the vernier (France)
• 1639 Invention of the micrometer
• 1660’s Jean Picard’s quadrant (France)
• 1725 The first theodolite (Great Britain)
• 1782 The Great Theodolite (Great Britain)
• 1920 Invention of the glass circle by H. Wild (Germany)
• 1920 First optical micrometer theodolite by Zeiss (Germany)
• 1950’s First electronic distance measurement device (South
Africa)
• 1980’s Start of satellite surveying
 Dioptra

A dioptra (sometimes also named dioptre or diopter) is a classical astronomical

and surveying instrument, dating from the 3rd century BC. The dioptra was a
sighting tube or, alternatively, a rod with a sight at both ends, attached to a stand. If
fitted with protractors, it could be used to measure angles.
Quadrant
Constructed by Jesse Ramsden
and used in high precision
geodetic surveys carried out in
the period 1784 to 1853.

The instrument was l36 inches

(914 mm) across and it was
normally mounted on a stand
which placed the sighting
telescope between 5 and 6 ft.
high. It weighed about 200 lb
(90 kg) . Horizontal angles can
be read to the nearest 1” of arc
with the use of a micrometer.

Great Theodolite
First Optical Theodolite by Zeiss(1920)

WILD T2
 Tellurometer(1957)

The tellurometer was the first successful microwave electronic distance

measurement equipment
Electronic Distance Meter