2008 - Communication Across the Curriculum (CAC)

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L a n d S u r v e y i n g The Future of Non-Terrestrial Surveying by Randy Robertson SRVY 1349: Survey Calculations II. Students were asked to submit an essay about the mathematics involved in land surveying and how mathematics are incorporated into the technology used by surveyors today. Randy’s paper took a path that I had not expected by examining the technology currently being used to survey and map the surface of Mars. As we moved westward to develop this country many years ago, the land surveyor was out in front of that movement. Now, surveys of Mars are being performed in preparation for development that may take place many decades in the future. Randy’s paper challenges surveyors to become better educated and better qualified to be again in the forefront of this exciting work. As it is in all professions, the ability to communicate in a written format is a very important skill for professional land surveyors. Randy’s paper demonstrates this ability. Roger W. McDonald, RPLS Surveyors have for centuries had to contend with advances in technology and application. While original surveys were made with no knowledge of what existed one thousand miles away, or even one hundred miles in some cases, there has been a slow evolution of regional, continental, and global control networks based on the development of accurate geoid/ ellipsoid models, especially in recent years. This has also cause unending headaches as local-level surveys must be referenced to these new control networks. In many cases, this highly complicated conversion gives results that are not entirely satisfactory. Even successful conversions are doomed to obsolescence by continued explosive technological growth. But consider how this profession would be different if events had been reversed. What would the surveyor’s profession be like today if we had started with a global control network and then worked it into greater detail, finally ending with local-level surveys This is exactly the opportunity that we are now being presented with. The MGM-0964 C20 geoid is now being used to conduct detailed topographic studies of Mars on a global scale. This geoid (an update from the earlier C18 geoid) was constructed from 353,648 observations from the Mars 6 5 W r i t i n g A c r o s s t h e C u r r i c u l u m
E s s a y Global Surveyor, combining gravity measurements and LIDAR surface scans. No data from earlier explorations were used in this construction because of the errors those data sets often introduced to earlier work. Similarly, an ellipsoid was developed before the MGS probe arrived, based on early data from Viking, Mariner 9, and various Earth-based scanning. In light of the MGS study, this ellipsoid is being revised into a more accurate model. The model being developed is 22986 meters along the Z axis and 21428 meters along the Y axis, indicating the south pole has a higher elevation than the north pole by about six kilometers. The MGS probe also provided high-resolution of topography from it’s Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA). This has allowed us to establish a range of elevations approximately 30 kilometers from highest peak to deepest valley (compared to Earth’s 20 km). The accuracy of this model exceeds the known accuracy of our own terrestrial continents. Not bad for a single satellite tasked with scanning a whole planet in less than two months. This process is expected to go on for at least another year, and accuracy will no doubt improve during that time. Once this process is finished, we will have a highly accurate geoid, ellipsoid, and topography. From there the process may seem as simple as setting up a convenient network of control points, but this is not the case. Much of this work cannot be done by satellite because of radical terrain changes. Huge shield volcanoes, ancient impact basins, deep rifts and vast desert plains combine to make the surface features... challenging to say the least. Much of this work will have to be done on the ground. But why Is it really so important There have been vast arrays of arguments about how to transform Mars into a habitable world, but all parties agree that it will happen. The course is set. They only argue over the “how” and the “when.” The most conservative of these plans suggest that Mars could have large permanent settlements in less than 100 years. More ambitious plans take far less time and, although some of them are quite fanciful, it shows a commitment to permanent colonies in the future. Colonization will not happen for its own sake. Such a massive effort must have it’s rewards. Rich mineral deposits will be mined. Land will be prepared for farming. Industries will be developed to support these efforts, and so will housing. And V o l u m e I V : F a l l 2 0 0 8 6 6
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2008 - Communication Across the Curriculum (CAC)

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