NGS Surveyor Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 SURVEY MARK QUIZ CHALLENGE Below are questions for a fun quiz I have prepared. There are 40 questions, concerning U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey, National Ocean Service, and National Geodetic Survey survey marks. Some questions should be easy, some hopefully informative, and some have best answers that may not be one’s first guess. Read all questions carefully. Rules: This is an open book quiz. The first three sets of answers received with 100% grades, win prizes. If there are less than three perfect papers by December 15th, then the three highest grades win, but all winners must have at least 70%. Submit all entries to George.leigh@noaa.gov , subject line “Quiz”. The winners, the correct answers, and the overall average score will be announced, individual scores will not be published. First prize will be a newly designed USC&GS T-shirt with a brass-colored Bench Mark on the front ( ) and the un-official USC&GS logo of an Eagle with a sextant on the back ( ). Second and third place prizes will be USC&GS 200th Anniversary lapel pins ( ). 1. In which time frame were the first survey disks set in the U.S. by any agency? A. 1810-1819, B, 1850-1859, C. 1870-1879, D. 1900-1909. 2. What is the definition of a bench mark? A. Any point in the Geocaching or National Geodetic Survey databases, B. Any survey disk, C. A mark with a known elevation above or below a certain datum, D. A brand of booze. 3. The Bilby Tower was first used in the year: A. 1870, B. 1900, C. 1917, D. 1927. 4. A “Base Line” is: A. A line between two survey points that is carefully measured for use on controlling the scale of triangulation, B. A line between two survey points that is carefully measured and used to calibrate electronic distance measuring instruments, C. Both of the above, D. Neither of the above. 5. Which if the following is not a standard height for a Bilby Tower: A. 37, B. 50, C. 63, D. 103. 6. Which of the following were used as survey marks by the USC&GS: A. Bottles, B. Wooden stakes, C. Nails, D. All of the above. 7. Which of the following types of USC&GS survey disks had arrows on them? A. Reference marks, B. Azimuth marks, C. Gravity reference marks, D. All of the above. 8. Which of the following were used to measure distances by the USC&GS/NGS? A. A chain, B. A rod in an ice bath, C. A laser, D. All of the above. 9. The first survey disks used by the USC&GS were: A. Flat on top, B. “Cup” shaped, C. Convex on top, D. None of the above. 10. A tower such as a church spire, radio mast, or water tank which has been surveyed is called a: A. Bench mark, B. Survey mark, C. Intersection station, D. None of the above. 11. Most USC&GS survey disks were set between the years: A. 1807 – Present B. 1880 – 1970 C. 1900 – 1970 D. 1910 – present. 12. National Ocean Survey (later National Ocean Service) disks were set to mark: A. Tidal bench marks, B. Third-order horizontal points for hydrographic surveys, C. Airport surveys, D. All of the above. 13. Reference marks are generally within ______ meters of the triangulation station. A. 10, B. 20, C. 30, D. 40. 14. USC&GS or NGS survey disks have been made of: A. Brass/bronze, B. Iron/steel, C. Aluminum, D. All of the above. 15. A USC&GS disk with a circle in the center could mark a: A. Topographic Station, B. Hydrographic Station, C. Bench Mark, D. All of the above. 16. The rarest USC&GS disk is probably the: A. Hexangle shaped Gravity disk, B. “Cup” shaped triangulation station disk, C. Magnetic station disk with 6-pointed star, D. Hexangle shaped Gravity reference mark disk. 17. Which of these is usually the only one with a horizontal position? A. MAGNETIC STATION, B. GRAVITY STATION, C. BENCH MARK, D. TOPOGRAPHIC STATION. 18. Which of these types of disks may have an underground mark beneath it? A. TRIANGULATION STATION, B. REFENCE MARK, C. AZIMUTH MARK, D. All of the above. 19. Survey disks are set: A. Above ground level, B. Below ground level, C. Flush with the ground, D. All of the above. 20. Which of the following types of disks do not have a blank spot for stamping the elevation? A. BENCH MARK with 3 crossed slashes, B. TRAVERSE STATION, C. USC&GS AND STATE SURVEY, D. GRAVITY STATION. 21. Which of the following symbols used in the center of a disk were not used on a BENCH MARK disk? A. Slash, B . Circle, C. Three crossed slashes, D. Triangle. 22. Which of these USC&GS disks did the NGS HORIZONTAL CONTROL MARK not replace? A. TOPOGRAPHIC STATION, B. HYDROGRAPHIC STATION, C. GRAVITY STATION, D. TRAVERSE STATION. 23. Which of these following disk symbols were used to mark horizontal control points? A. Triangle, B. Circle, C. Cross, D. All of the above. 24. When searching for a survey mark on a hill top, look for: A. Highest point, B. Point with best visibility around the horizon, C. Place where you would have set the mark, D. All of the above. 25. When looking for a bench mark (vertical point), consider: A. Mark spacing along the level line, B. Exposed bedrock, C. Clues in the Description, D. All of the above. 26. Which of the following is not true about Reference Marks? A. Disks have arrows pointing to the Triangulation Station, B. Marks usually less than 100 feet from the Station, C. Always higher than the Station, D. Station Description contains the distance and direction from the Station to the RMs. 27. Which of the following usually do not have an accurate horizontal position? A. GRAVITY STATION, B. MAGNETIC STATION, C. BENCH MARK, D. All of the above. 28. The most important factor in a close-up photograph of a survey mark: A., No debris covering mark, B. All stamping is clear and legible, C. Even lighting, D. Disk fills most of photo. 29. Which of the following is not needed when recovering a survey mark? A. Station Description, B. Hammer, C. Tape measure, D. Magnetic compass. 30. Which of the following is not a parameter for setting a concrete mark: A. Four feet deep, B. Twelve inches in diameter, C. Rebar placed in concrete, D. Collar or form used around top portion of mark. 31. Survey towers were made of: A. Steel, B. Wood, C. Aluminum, D. All of the above. 32. Which of the following can be used to measure horizontal angles: A. Transit, B. Sextant, C. Theodolite, D. All of the above. 33. Tools used to dig a hole for a concrete mark include: A. Auger, B. Post hole digger, C. Sharp-shooter shovel, D. All of the above. 34. The back of a survey disk might contain: A. A Stem for setting in a drill hole in bedrock or a large structure, B. A Tube for mounting on a buried rod, C. A Collar for mounting on a pipe, D. All of the above. 35. Which type of disk came in two shapes? A. MAGNETIC STATION, B. GRAVITY STATION, C. HYDROGRAPHIC STATION, D. None of the above. 36. During the 1950’s and 1960’s, the number of disks set at a Triangulation Station was usually: A. 3, B. 4, C. 5, D. 6. 37. For many years, the specified distance range from the Triangulation Station to the Azimuth Mark was: A. 30 meters to 3 miles, B. 100 meters to 3 miles, C. 1/4 mile to 2 miles, D. None of the above. 38. USC&GS disks were phased out of usage when NOAA was formed in: A. 1970, B. 1971, C. 1972, D. None of the above. 39. The NGS disk that did not replace a USC&GS disk: A. HORIZONTAL CONTROL MARK, B. VERTICAL CONTROL MARK, C. GRAVITY MARK, D. CALIBRATION BASE LINE. 40. The following types of aluminum logo caps were made (collar and lid to protect stainless steel rod marks): A. Vertical Control Mark, B. Geodetic control mark, C. Tidal Bench Mark, D. All of the above. Good Luck, GeorgeL NGS Quote Link to comment
NGS Surveyor Posted December 8, 2009 Author Share Posted December 8, 2009 Don't forget, the deadline for entries is midnight, December 15th. GeorgeL NGS Quote Link to comment
+The Fossillady Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 Email has been sent. Quote Link to comment
Difficult Run Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Email sent as well. - Good luck to everyone. ~ Mitch ~ Quote Link to comment
monkeykat Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Hey, now that the quiz is over, does anyone remember if it was in a thread somewhere where somebody made a chart about how many marks were placed by year? Couldn't find it when I looked a week ago, but I thought someone had made a bar chart of marks by year, with red bars perhaps, big spikes in the 40's and 70's? Maybe I am crazy... Quote Link to comment
NGS Surveyor Posted December 16, 2009 Author Share Posted December 16, 2009 I don't recall a Table, but there is a "Quicktime" movie at: http://celebrating200years.noaa.gov/founda...ey_network.html , that shows the expansion of the horizontal network over time. The years with the most marks set were probably the 1930's when public work programs had many field parties setting and positioning marks. The movie is really interesting because you can see the progress of several important surveys like the Eastern Oblique Arc and the Transcontinental Arc of Triangulation. GeorgeL NGS Quote Link to comment
+m&h Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 "I thought someone had made a bar chart of marks by year" We think so too, and further believe it might have been Back Dog Trackers, a line graph, and a big spike during the years of the WPA. Can't find it now. Cheers, Quote Link to comment
+m&h Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Apologies to BDT for the typo! Quote Link to comment
NGS Surveyor Posted December 16, 2009 Author Share Posted December 16, 2009 I am pleased to announce that we have three winners of the Survey Mark Quiz. First place goes to “Bill93”, second place to “m&h”, and third place to “billwallace”. Congrats to all! More good news, everyone passed and the average grade was 81.25%. No one got 100% however. I did an analysis to see which questions were answered incorrectly most often. Question #1 was the worst, followed by questions #23 and #27. There were 16 questions that everyone got correct. Here are the correct answers (at least my opinion) and some brief comments. 1. In which time frame were the first survey disks set in the U.S. by any agency? A. 1810-1819, B, 1850-1859, *C. 1870-1879, D. 1900-1909. The key words in the question are “..by any agency?” Verplanck Colvin set survey disks in the Adirondack Mountains during the 1870’s as the Superintendent of the Adirondack Survey (New York State agency). In fact, the earliest USC&GS disks (1900) bear a striking resemblance to Colvin’s disks. See page 9 of my paper on survey marks at: http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/web/about_ngs/hist...ey_Mark_Art.pdf and: http://www.colvincrew.org/verplanck-colvin . 2. What is the definition of a bench mark? A. Any point in the Geocaching or National Geodetic Survey databases, B. Any survey disk, *C. A mark with a known elevation above or below a certain datum, D. A brand of booze. Glad to report that no one selected “D” - everyone got this one correct!! 3. The Bilby Tower was first used in the year: A. 1870, B. 1900, C. 1917, *D. 1927. It was designed by Jasper Bilby in 1926 based on the common windmill towers, and first used in 1927. The last tower built by this agency was built in 1984. For a photo of one of the first towers built, see: http://usasearch.gov/search?v%3aproject=fi...amp;rpaid=& 4. A “Base Line” is: A. A line between two survey points that is carefully measured for use on controlling the scale of triangulation, B. A line between two survey points that is carefully measured and used to calibrate electronic distance measuring instruments, *C. Both of the above, D. Neither of the above. 5. Which if the following is not a standard height for a Bilby Tower: A. 37, B. 50, *C. 63, D. 103. The standard heights were 24, 37, 50, 64, 77, 90, 103, 116, and 129 (discontinued). The most common heights were 77 and 90 feet because these heights would get above most trees and also provide enough height to help compensate for the curvature of the earth. These heights were to the top of the inner tower – the height of the instrument. The light plate at the very top of the outer tower was 10 feet higher. Note, the tower leg sections were 13 feet, 8.5 inches long so that the heights could be varied at the above intervals depending on the reconnaissance work done ahead of time by a reconnaissance party. The leg sections overlapped and were joined by two bolts. The section length, this overlap, and rounding to the nearest foot caused the height differences to not be exactly 13 feet and caused the 14 foot difference between the 50 foot tower height and the 64 foot height. The 1965 version of the manual for Bilby Towers is on-line at: http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/cgs_specpu...5U352no62-3.PDF . This document contains excellent photographs and drawings. 6. Which of the following were used as survey marks by the USC&GS: A. Bottles, B. Wooden stakes, C. Nails, *D. All of the above. 7. Which of the following types of USC&GS survey disks had arrows on them? A. Reference marks, B. Azimuth marks, C. Gravity reference marks, *D. All of the above. 8. Which of the following were used to measure distances by the USC&GS/NGS? A. A chain, B. A rod in an ice bath, C. A laser, *D. All of the above. 9. The first survey disks used by the USC&GS were: A. Flat on top, *B. “Cup” shaped, C. Convex on top, D. None of the above. 10. A tower such as a church spire, radio mast, or water tank which has been surveyed is called a: A. Bench mark, B. Survey mark, *C. Intersection station, D. None of the above. I guess this is one of my “pet peeves” – when people refer to “Intersection Stations” as “Bench Marks”. 11. Most USC&GS survey disks were set between the years: A. 1807 – Present B. 1880 – 1970 *C. 1900 – 1970 D. 1910 – present. 12. National Ocean Survey (later National Ocean Service) disks were set to mark: A. Tidal bench marks, B. Third-order horizontal points for hydrographic surveys, C. Airport surveys, *D. All of the above. 13. Reference marks are generally within ______ meters of the triangulation station. A. 10, B. 20, *C. 30, D. 40. Because 30 meters (or 100 feet) is the length of many measuring tapes. 14. USC&GS or NGS survey disks have been made of: A. Brass/bronze, B. Iron/steel, C. Aluminum, *D. All of the above. 15. A USC&GS disk with a circle in the center could mark a: A. Topographic Station, B. Hydrographic Station, C. Bench Mark, *D. All of the above. 16. The rarest USC&GS disk is probably the: A. Hexangle shaped Gravity disk, B. “Cup” shaped triangulation station disk, C. Magnetic station disk with 6-pointed star, *D. Hexangle shaped Gravity reference mark disk. Our current NGS “gravity guy” told me he has only ever seen 1 or 2 of these. I have never seen even one. 17. Which of these is usually the only one with a horizontal position? A. MAGNETIC STATION, B. GRAVITY STATION, C. BENCH MARK, *D. TOPOGRAPHIC STATION. Topographic Stations have third-order horizontal positions, formerly used to control shoreline mapping. 18. Which of these types of disks may have an underground mark beneath it? A. TRIANGULATION STATION, B. REFENCE MARK, C. AZIMUTH MARK, *D. All of the above During the 1970’s it was common practice to set underground marks at Azimuth Marks (because the Azimuth Marks were positioned then). Underground marks at Reference Marks were rare but were set at one point in time. 19. Survey disks are set: A. Above ground level, B. Below ground level, C. Flush with the ground, *D. All of the above. 20. Which of the following types of disks do not have a blank spot for stamping the elevation? A. BENCH MARK with 3 crossed slashes, B. TRAVERSE STATION, C. USC&GS AND STATE SURVEY, *D. GRAVITY STATION. 21. Which of the following symbols used in the center of a disk were not used on a BENCH MARK disk? A. Slash, B . Circle, C. Three crossed slashes, *D. Triangle. 22. Which of these USC&GS disks did the NGS HORIZONTAL CONTROL MARK not replace? A. TOPOGRAPHIC STATION, B. HYDROGRAPHIC STATION, *C. GRAVITY STATION, D. TRAVERSE STATION. The Topo. Sta., the Hydro. Sta. and the Traverse Stations were all set and surveyed to provide horizontal positions. 23. Which of these following disk symbols were used to mark horizontal control points? A. Triangle, B. Circle, C. Cross, *D. All of the above. USC&GS Topographic Station disks and Hydrographic Station disks have circles in the center. “Topo” disks were used for horizontal control for shoreline mapping and airport surveys, and “Hydro” disks were used for horizontal control of hydrographic surveys. These surveys were mainly third-order, and positioned from higher order triangulation stations. NOS disks used for horizontal control have a “+” in the center. 24. When searching for a survey mark on a hill top, look for: A. Highest point, B. Point with best visibility around the horizon, C. Place where you would have set the mark, *D. All of the above. Hilltop points would almost always be triangulation stations (its too time consuming to level to the top of a tall hill or mountain). All three factors apply. 25. When looking for a bench mark (vertical point), consider: A. Mark spacing along the level line, B. Exposed bedrock, C. Clues in the Description, *D. All of the above. 26. Which of the following is not true about Reference Marks? A. Disks have arrows pointing to the Triangulation Station, B. Marks usually less than 100 feet from the Station, *C. Always higher than the Station, D. Station Description contains the distance and direction from the Station to the RMs. 27. Which of the following usually do not have an accurate horizontal position? A. GRAVITY STATION, B. MAGNETIC STATION, C. BENCH MARK, *D. All of the above. This is the third of the most commonly missed questions. Gravity Stations, when originally set, usually have only gravity information, Magnetic Stations have magnetic information and Bench Marks have elevations. Later, any of these might be surveyed again as part of a triangulation project and given an accurate horizontal position. 28. The most important factor in a close-up photograph of a survey mark: A., No debris covering mark, *B. All stamping is clear and legible, C. Even lighting, D. Disk fills most of photo. 29. Which of the following is not needed when recovering a survey mark? A. Station Description, *B. Hammer, C. Tape measure, D. Magnetic compass. A hammer is sometimes useful, but is the least essential of the four. 30. Which of the following is not a parameter for setting a concrete mark: A. Four feet deep, B. Twelve inches in diameter, *C. Rebar placed in concrete, D. Collar or form used around top portion of mark. We stopped putting magnetic materials in monuments many years ago. 31. Survey towers were made of: A. Steel, B. Wood, C. Aluminum, *D. All of the above. 32. Which of the following can be used to measure horizontal angles: A. Transit, B. Sextant, C. Theodolite, *D. All of the above. A sextant can be turned 90 degrees (flat with the horizon) and used to measure horizontal angles. In fact, fixes from two horizontal sextant angles were the method used for many years to position hydrographic survey launches. Angles were turned between a series of marked points (signals) along the shoreline. 33. Tools used to dig a hole for a concrete mark include: A. Auger, B. Post hole digger, C. Sharp-shooter shovel, *D. All of the above. 34. The back of a survey disk might contain: A. A Stem for setting in a drill hole in bedrock or a large structure, B. A Tube for mounting on a buried rod, C. A Collar for mounting on a pipe, *D. All of the above. 35. Which type of disk came in two shapes? A. MAGNETIC STATION, *B. GRAVITY STATION, C. HYDROGRAPHIC STATION, D. None of the above. 36. During the 1950’s and 1960’s, the number of disks set at a Triangulation Station was usually: A. 3, B. 4, *C. 5, D. 6. Station disk, underground station disk, RM1 disk, RM2 disk, and Azimuth Mark disk. 37. For many years, the specified distance range from the Triangulation Station to the Azimuth Mark was: A. 30 meters to 3 miles, B. 100 meters to 3 miles, *C. 1/4 mile to 2 miles, D. None of the above. 38. USC&GS disks were phased out of usage when NOAA was formed in: *A. 1970, B. 1971, C. 1972, D. None of the above. 39. The NGS disk that did not replace a USC&GS disk: A. HORIZONTAL CONTROL MARK, B. VERTICAL CONTROL MARK, C. GRAVITY MARK, *D. CALIBRATION BASE LINE. 40. The following types of aluminum logo caps were made (collar and lid to protect stainless steel rod marks): A. Vertical Control Mark, B. Geodetic control mark, C. Tidal Bench Mark, *D. All of the above. All three were made and we still use “B” and C”. Three winners - please email me your mailing addresses and I will mail your prizes. T-shirts, like the one awarded for first place, are available for sale by the U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey Heritage Society. Let me know if you are interested. T-shirt graphics at: BM on front ( ) and the un-official USC&GS logo of an Eagle with a sextant on the back ( ). GeorgeL NGS Quote Link to comment
Bill93 Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 That's going to be a nice Christmas present. Thanks! (My brother GH55 will be jealous) Quote Link to comment
Difficult Run Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Yayyyyy! - I got 32 out of 40 correct, which makes me 'average'. Congrats to all the winners, ~ Mitch ~ Quote Link to comment
+Black Dog Trackers Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 monkeykat, m&h, Here is the place where those graphs are. I did them a few years ago, so they are out of date. I had to move from my former site because the server there quit hosting web pages. Quote Link to comment
+billwallace Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Thanks for the quiz .. I needed the enticement to read all that stuff. Quote Link to comment
+m&h Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Again, thanks very much for putting this together. We had a great time with it! Cheers, Quote Link to comment
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