Naming benchmarks

[+Tsegi Mike and Desert Viking]

I'm just curious about the stamped names of benchmarks. Who names them and how? Most of the ones have dull sequences of letters and numbers, others the names of nearby landmarks, but some have names of obscure local historical people or events. Any ideas?

 

Till a voice, as bad as Conscience, rang interminable changes

On one everlasting Whisper day and night repeated -- so:

"Something hidden. Go and find it. Go and look behind the Ranges --

"Something lost behind the Ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go!"

 

Rudyard Kipling , The Explorer 1898

[Z15]

NGS Bench Marks (elevation points primarily) are coded with a Letter then a series of numbers, usually 1, 2 or 3 digits.

 

NGS Triangulations stations (horizontal control primarily) were named for the land owner if permitted by them or used a local well known name for the area, e.g. Pikes Peak, Flat Top etc. Otherwise the re-con team came up with the name based on guidelines given them by manuals and supervisors.

 

So, if you see a mark that is designated A 34 you can assumed is was Bench Mark set long ago, probably in the 30's. If you find one A 138, it was set years later. The most recent marks set around here were in 1996 in support of USCG & NGS CORS sites and are number in the 300's.

 

USGS marks are somewhat different.

 

The BM's are usually code with a number then the crew chiefs initials, e.g. 36 RTB or named like "TT 31 C" TT stands for Transcontinental Traverse.

 

If you would like to learn more, there are numerous links in the Bench Mark page that will provide much info, this info and more is buried in the many publications that are available on-line.

 

[This message was edited by elcamino on April 27, 2003 at 05:41 AM.]

[survey tech]

See also the thread "unusual/odd benchmark designations", which is currently near the bottom of page 9.

[+rogbarn]

quote:

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Originally posted by survey tech:

See also the thread "unusual/odd benchmark designations", which is currently near the bottom of page 9.

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Here, let's Markwell it: Unusual/Odd Benchmark Designations

[DaveD]

A small correction to post by Elcamino. The "TT" stamped on USGS marks refers to "Transit Traverse." The Transcontinental Traverse was a high accuracy 1:1,000,000 survey conducted by the U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey/National Geodetic Survey during the early 70s to early 80s in support of the readjustment of the North American Datum (NAD 83)