CORRECTION OF PLANE-TABLE HEIGHTS FOR CURVATURE OF THE EARTH AND ATMOSPHERIC REFRACTION

Abstract

Most text-books on surveying limit their discussion of the correction of vertical angles for curvature of the earth and atmospheric refraction to the correction of angles taken with a theodolite during triangulation and omit any reference to those taken with a clinometer. This is rather illogical, as in well-observed triangulation, with all vertical angles measured in both directions, no correction for these effects is necessary, whilst in plane-tabling on small scales where sketching at considerable distances is frequently employed the application of corrections for these effects is essential.