The Evolution of Land Surveying Technology in Alberta

These articles trace land survey measurement technology from the time of early mapping in Western Canada to the relatively recent application of GPS technology. They depict the greatest evolution in land surveying technology in history – the period from about 1960 to the early 2000s. This period witnessed the transformation in measurement technology from transit and chain to GPS, and in survey computation from logarithms to the sophisticated programs and computers of the early 21st Century.  They were originally published from 2021 to 2023 in ALS News a quarterly publication of the Alberta Land Surveyors Association.

1. Sextant and Artificial Horizon

Sextants, developed in the 17th Century were used until the 20th Century to determine the angle between a celestial object and the horizon to find latitude in sea navigation. At sea, the natural horizon is represented by the sea surface...

25
Aug
2. Circumferentors – Made in Canada before Confederation

Circumferentors were used to survey Canadian settlements and international boundaries during the 1800s. They were used to observe direction with reference to magnetic north. Vertical sights enabled accurate aiming. The instrument is oriented to magnetic north using the compass needle,...

26
Aug
3. Gunter’s Chain – a legacy of three centuries

Imagine designing something that would be used for three centuries. That is what Edmund Gunter (1581-1626), an English mathematician, did when he designed and introduced what became called the Gunter’s Chain in 1620. He standardized the length of a pole...

06
Sep