BLUNDER DETECTION IN
HORIZONTAL NETWORKS
Blunders
- large errors in data sets are more likely
to be blunders than random errors.
Common blunders in data sets include:
1. number transposition
2. entry and recording errors,
3. station misidentifications, and others
*When blunders are present in a data set, a
least squares adjustment may not be possible
or will, at a minimum, since it provides poor or
invalid results.
- To be safe, the results of an adjustment
should never be accepted without an analysis
of the post-adjustment statistics.
A PRIORI BLUNDER DETECTION
- It is especially important to eliminate
large blunders prior to the adjustment of
nonlinear equations, since blunders can
cause the solution to diverge.
1. Use of the K Matrix
- the easiest method available for
detecting blunders is to use redundant
observation
CASE 1: An observation containing a
blunder is NOT USED to compute initial
coordinates.
EFFECT: Corresponding K-matrix value
will be relatively large.
CASE 2: An observation with a blunder
is USED in the computation of the initial
station coordinates.
EFFECT: The REMAINING redundant
observations to that station should have
relatively large K-matrix values.
2. Traverse Closure Checks
- Errors can be propagated throughout a
traverse to determine the anticipated
closure.
- Large complex networks can be broken
into smaller link and loop traverse to
check estimated closure against their
actual values.
DISTANCE BLUNDER: The length of
the closure line will be nearly equal to
the length of the blunder in the distance
with a blunder with a direction that is
consistent with its azimuth. Length and
direction of the closure line will not
match the blunder exactly since other
observations contain small random
errors.
When one blunder is present in a
traverse, the misclosure and the blunder
will be close in both length and direction.
ANGULAR BLUNDER: The
perpendicular bisector of the closure line
will point to the station with an angular
blunder but it may not intersect the
blunder precisely due to small random
errors in the other observations.
A POSTERIORI BLUNDER DETECTION
- When doing a least squares adjustment
involving more than the minimum
amount of control, both a minimally and
fully constrained adjustment should be
performed.
Minimally constrained adjustment – the
data need to satisfy the appropriate
geometric closures and are not
influenced by control errors
RESIDUALS
Size of the residuals does not mean presence
of a blunder for an observation:
- REASON: Least square adjustment
generally spreads a large observational
error or blunder out radially from its
source.
- Poor relative weighting for an
observation can cause this wrong
conclusion.
Angular blunder – will cause the network to
spread or compress
REDUNDANCY NUMBER (r)

- Provide insight into the geometric

strength of the adjustment

Interpretation of r:
a. r = 0, the system has a unique
solution
b. r = 1, the observation is fully
constrained

- LOW R: observation lack sufficient

checks to isolate blunders
: high probability for undetected
blunders to exist in the observations
- HIGH R: high level of internal checking
of the observation
: lower chance of accepting
observations that contain blunders

DETECTION OF OUTLIERS IN
OBSERVATIONS

TEST STATISTICS

- The value 3.29 works as a criterion for

rejection of blunders.

Type I error (alpha) – occurs when data

are rejected that do not contain
blunders.

Type II errors (beta) – occurs when a

blunder is not detected in a data set
where one is actually present.