There are many sciences in the world. One of them is surveying. What kind of science is this? What is she studying? Where can I learn it? You will find answers to these and other questions in this article.
Surveying - what is it?
Like astronomy, geodesy is one of the oldest sciences. However, if every student knows about astronomy, then most people have never heard of such a science as geodesy. And at the same time, without the use of geodetic knowledge, the development of modern society is unthinkable.
Surveying - what is it? What is this science? In short, this is the science of studying and measuring the surface of the Earth.
Surveying is the science of how to make measurements on the surface of the earth, which are carried out in order to study the shapes and sizes of the Earth, as well as to image the entire planet and its parts on plans and maps. In addition, surveying deals with special measurement methods that are necessary to solve economic and engineering problems.
Surveying Industries
Surveying - what is it? This is a science that is developing dynamically. So, in the process of development of science and technology, it was divided into a number of disciplines.
Higher geodesy studies the size and shape of the Earth, as well as methods that can be used to accurately determine the coordinates of points on the surface of the planet and plot them on a plane.
The section of geodesy - topography is engaged in the study of the sizes and shapes of the earth's surface in order to display it on maps, profiles and plans.
Surveying and cartography study the processes and methods of creating and using a variety of maps.
Photogrammetry deals with the measurement of space and aerial photographs for a variety of purposes, for example, for measuring structures and buildings, for obtaining plans and maps, and so on.
Applied, or engineering, geodesy studies a whole range of geodetic works that are performed during the construction, research and operation of various structures and buildings.
The geometrical relationship between points on the surface of the earth using artificial Earth satellites is studied by space geodesy. Now, due to the fact that new achievements in the field of measurement and observation techniques have appeared, the problems of solving scientific problems of studying the size and shape of the moon, as well as other planets of the solar system and their gravitational fields, have also been added to research on Earth.
Marine geodesy and cartography deal with both scientific and applied geodetic tasks at sea. The main task was and remains the determination of the Earth's surface and its gravitational field in the seas and oceans. Marine geodesy solves the following series of problems: construction of hydraulic structures, operation and exploration of underwater resources, etc. However, the most important task of such support is mapping, which is accompanied by photographing, and geodetic reference.
The development of geodesy as a science
Surveying, like many other sciences, arose in ancient times. Progress in the exact and natural sciences, the invention of the telescope, pendulum and other instruments - all this contributed to its development.
However, it is worth noting that over the past half century, this science has achieved greater success than over the entire time of its existence. This is due, for example, to the fact that engineering geodesy can now receive data from artificial satellites, as well as to the fact that many electronic measuring instruments and electronic computers have appeared.
A modern computer allows you to analyze a huge amount of information data, apply new mathematical developments that gave a new impetus to the development of theoretical geodesy, which runs in parallel with the progress of information theory and mathematics.
Applied Surveying: Aspects
Surveying data are used in various fields, such as navigation, cartography, and land use. What do they let you know? For example, to determine the location of drilling platforms on the shelf, the flood zone after the construction of the dam, the exact position of the administrative and state borders of various kinds and so on. Strategic guidance systems and navigation equally depend on how accurate the information about the position of the target and the adequacy of the physical models that describe the Earth's gravitational field. Measurements taken by surveyors are used to study plate tectonics and seismology. When searching for many minerals (including oil), gravimetric survey is used.
Where to get the profession of a surveyor?
Today in Russia there are a large number of educational institutions that will allow you to get the profession of a surveyor. In the field of this science, at a different level of development of this rather complex specialty, a specialist can work who graduated from a secondary educational institution — a technical school or college of geodesy — and a higher one — an academy, institute, or university.
Education in this area can be chosen to your taste. A future specialist can graduate from a specialized university or institute of geodesy. For example, MIIGAiK is one of the oldest and most prestigious specialized universities in Russia. Or you can get a secondary education: go to study at the St. Petersburg or Novosibirsk College of Geodesy and Cartography.
After graduating from a secondary special education institution with a specialty in “surveyor”, a graduate can count on the position of assistant surveyor or surveyor technician. In addition, if desired, he can continue to improve his knowledge in this field by entering a higher educational institution.
Graduation gives the graduate the right to independent work, and graduation from graduate school allows you to further advance in a career in the scientific and practical direction.
What does a surveyor do?
Among the variety of activities, the following areas can be distinguished:
- A surveyor can observe and measure changes in the earth's surface, both locally and globally.
- Perform various terrain measurements.
- Make topographic plans and maps.
- Create water, forest, land and other types of cadastres.
- Deal with the definition and designation of state borders.
- Prepare research reports.
What to take to enter the surveyor?
A schoolchild who is going to devote himself to geodesy in the future needs to know as much as possible some general educational subjects, for example, mathematics, geography, the Russian language, history, social studies, as well as computer science and information and communication technologies. As a rule, it is these disciplines that are taken at entrance exams in secondary and higher educational institutions in geodesic specialties.
Upon admission to a specialty related to geodesy, usually three of the six subjects listed above are handed over, but what kind of subjects they will be depends on the educational institution, faculty and type of specialty.
They can take exams based on the results of the State Academic Examination or the Unified State Examination or conduct testing for applicants in all subjects except history and social science - they are taken orally.
Some colleges and technical schools do not require entrance exams at all. An example is the Novosibirsk College of Geodesy and Cartography, or NTGiK. This educational institution trains specialists in the following specialties: applied geodesy (geodesist-technician), cartography (technician-cartographer) and aerial photo-geodesy (aerial photo-geodesist-technician).
Demand for a profession in the labor market
Specialists in the field of geodesy and cartography are often required in a variety of types of production. Therefore, in the university and secondary specialized training of these specialists, there are different biases, which in the future will determine the practical orientation of the work of the surveyor. In addition, traditions that have historically developed within the walls of the educational institution also leave an imprint on this.
It is not surprising that existing universities prepare students in different ways. In any educational institution has its own specifics of selecting existing directions in the specialty. However, any university, technical school or college will provide fundamental training, which in the future will provide an opportunity to change the direction of work, retrain and switch to related specialization.
Thus, we can conclude that today geodesy is one of the most interesting and developing sciences. Each specialist will be able to find himself in it.