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Geodesy

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Abstract

Literally, the word geodesy means “dividing the earth”; however, by usage its meaning now includes both science and art. The science of geodesy is devoted to determining the earth’s size, shape, and gravity field. The art of geodesy utilizes scientific data in a practical way to (1) obtain latitude, longitude, and elevation of points; (2) compute lengths and directions of lines on the earth’s surface; and (3) describe the trajectory of missiles, satellites, or other spacecraft. It is not intended herein to designate a given activity as being either science or art but to recognize a legitimate difference in emphasis that may exist in various areas of geodesy.

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© 1987 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Burkholder, E.F. (1987). Geodesy. In: Brinker, R.C., Minnick, R. (eds) The Surveying Handbook. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-1188-2_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-1188-2_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-1190-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-1188-2

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