GEOM1032 CLASSIC GEODESY – COURSE OUTLINE

DR KEITH MILLER

SEMESTER 2, 2022/23
CONTENTS
CONTACT INFORMATION .................................................................................................................... 1
COURSE CO-ORDINATOR ............................................................................................................... 1
COURSE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................. 2
LEARNING EXPECTATIONS/OUTCOMES ........................................................................................... 3
THE UNIT IN CONTEXT .................................................................................................................... 3
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES ................................................................................................ 3
UNIT STRUCTURE/PROGRAM ............................................................................................................ 4
ASSESSMENT ....................................................................................................................................... 5
HOW YOUR FINAL RESULT IS DETERMINED ................................................................................ 5
ASSESSMENT TASKS ...................................................................................................................... 5
REQUESTS FOR EXTENSIONS ....................................................................................................... 7
PENALTIES ....................................................................................................................................... 7
REVIEW OF RESULTS AND APPEALS ............................................................................................ 8
EXPECTATIONS.................................................................................................................................... 8
LEARNING STRATEGIES ..................................................................................................................... 8
ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT ............................................................................................................. 8
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY .......................................................................................... 9
WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY ........................................................................................... 9
EMPLOYEE SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES .................................................................................. 9
MEDICAL FORMS .......................................................................................................................... 10
FIELDWORK ................................................................................................................................... 10
FURTHER INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE ............................................................................... 11
CONTACT INFORMATION
COURSE CO-ORDINATOR
Dr Keith Miller

E-MAIL
keith.miller@sta.uwi.edu

PHONE
662-2002 ext 83314

CONSULTATION HOURS
See notice on office door

LECTURE VENUE AND TIMES

Monday, 1000 – 1200 and 1300 – 1400

OTHER TEACHING VENUE AND TIMES

Monday, 1400 – 1600

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COURSE SUMMARY
Course code GEOM1032

Course title Classic Geodesy

Course This first course in geodesy introduces students to surfaces and

description reference frames used in providing horizontal and vertical control at
national level for surveying and mapping. Content considers
traditional approaches that are adopted in Caribbean territories to
define datums and computational methods relating to positions
determined in three dimensions within these reference frames.
Assessment will be undertaken through three individual assignments
and a written final examination. One assignment will be a written
submission involving a practical exercise, computational work and
reporting and two will be timed computational exercises undertaken
with full access to resources in the departmental computer laboratory.

Teaching staff Dr Keith Miller

Support staff Arnessa Gooding

Prerequisites none

Credits 3

Teaching 39 Hours of lectures, 22 hours of tutorials and two 4 hr assessments

Assessment 50% Final examination

20% Report on computational task
30% Open book assignments (2 submissions)

Recommended Smith, J.R. Introduction to Geodesy: The History and Concepts of

texts Modern Geodesy, Wiley Interscience.
Cross, P.A. Hollwey J.R. and Small L.G. Geodetic Appreciation.
Department of Land Surveying, University of East London, Working Paper
Number 2, April 1983.
Allan, A.L. Practical Surveying and Computations, Butterworth
Heinemann.
Mackie, V. Astronomy for Land Surveyors. Griffin.

Resources Students will be required to use software such as Microsoft Excel, Matlab
and Geocalc.

Software All software required for this unit is available in the Department’s
Requirements laboratory.

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LEARNING EXPECTATIONS/OUTCOMES
THE COURSE IN CONTEXT
The aim of the course is to provide a knowledge of principles and applications of geodesy as
well as to develop skills in computational aspects of the discipline. The subject of geodesy
considers the reference frames used in the collection of data through computational
processes to presentation of results, it is therefore fundamental to surveying and mapping.
This first course provides the traditional approach to datum definition and methods used in
computations undertaken in relation to spherical surfaces, projection planes and in height
determination. Reference is made to practical application through consideration of
horizontal and vertical control established in territories of the Caribbean. Methods adopted
for national datum determination are addressed together with limitations of the resulting
products. Computational work undertaken in the MATLAB environment will provide
students with an introduction to scripting for mathematical purposes as well as providing
access to tools for visualization of spatial data through graphs and maps.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the successful completion of the unit students should be able to:

1. Undertake solar observations using a theodolite, apply spherical trigonometry to

determine azimuth and assess results to report on accuracy achieved in comparison
with expectations determined from principles.
2. Describe the traditional horizontal reference frames used in surveying and mapping
with an appreciation for their applications and knowledge of relationships between
them.
3. Use principles of gravity to explain the geopotential of the Earth and methods for
realization of the geoid.
4. Explain the use of observed and normal gravity in height determination and compare
the resulting conventions available for defining height reference surfaces.
5. Interpret results of geodetic computations involving the sphere and spheroid and
height systems and demonstrate knowledge of the principles of methods adopted
through explanation of limitations of techniques.
6. Use the MATLAB environment to write scripts for computational geodetic procedures
and to present geodetic data in two and three dimensions.

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COURSE STRUCTURE/PROGRAM
Week Date Topic (Mondays) Tutorial (Thursdays)
Course outline and
1 22 Jan Determining the size of the Earth
Introduction to Geodesy
Spherical trigonometry
2 29 Jan Introduction to MATLAB functions
Assignment 1 specs.
Astronomy
3 05 Feb Determining azimuth
Solar observations
4 12 Feb Carnival Solar observations
5 19 Feb Gravity and potential Gravity and potential computations
Geopotential models Using EGM2008 with MATLAB and
6 26 Feb
and height systems potential of GRS80
Coordinate systems for Coordinate system computations with
7 04 Mar
a spheroidal Earth MATLAB
Computations on the
8 11 Mar Assignment task 2
spheroid
Traditional horizontal Datum and spheroid computations with
9 18 Mar
and vertical datums MATLAB
Projecting geodetic data with
10 25 Mar Map projections
MATLAB and producing maps
Computations on the
11 01 Apr Assignment task 3
map grid
12 08 Apr Review of material Review questions
13 15 Apr Revision week
22 Apr Assessment Period

Practical work
A field practical exercise undertaken in pairs will involve determination of azimuth and setting
up a sundial.

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ASSESSMENT
HOW YOUR FINAL RESULT IS DETERMINED
The assessment is 100% coursework.

How is your final grade determined To obtain credit for the course you must obtain an
aggregate final score of at least 50%. Quality points for the course will then be awarded in
alignment with Faculty regulations http://sta.uwi.edu/eng/ugrad/ClassificationofDegree.asp.

ASSESSMENT TASKS
Assessment schedule
Assessment task Date Due Percent Links to Intended
weighting Learning Outcomes
Assessment task 1 25th February 20 1

Assessment task 2 12th March 15 5, 6

Assessment task 3 2nd April 15 5, 6

Assessment task 4 End of semester 50 2, 3, 4

Assessment details
There are three assessments involving computational work and reporting.

Assessment task 1
Determining azimuth.
Task description
Students are required to use data provided to undertake field work, computations and analysis of
results obtained in the determination of azimuth. Students will work in pairs.
Task length
Report, maximum of 1000 words, accompanied by computational work.

Links to unit’s intended learning outcomes (ILO’s)

Solar observations and determination of azimuth with assessment of accuracy (ILO1).
Assessment criteria
Criteria for assessment will be provided with the full assignment specifications.

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Date due
25th February by midnight.

Assessment task 2
Gravity, potential, coordinate systems and heights.
Task description
Students are required to use algorithms to perform computations relating to gravity, potential,
heights and spheroidal coordinates, and to consider methods used in relation to results obtained.
Task length
4 hour assignment using computational software and applications with written comments.
Links to unit’s intended learning outcomes
Computations relating to gravity and the spheroid and analysis of results (ILO’s 3, 4, 5 and 6).
Assessment criteria
Criteria for assessment will be provided with the full assignment specifications.
Date due
12th March, to be submitted at the end of the session.

Assessment task 3
Geodetic datums, projections and computations on the spheroid.
Task description
Students will be required to perform computations relating to the spheroid, working within
different datums and on the map grid, and undertake an assessment of results obtained.
Task length
4 hour assignment using computational software and applications.
Links to unit’s intended learning outcomes
Undertake geodetic computations and interpretation (ILO’s 2, 5 and 6)
Assessment criteria
Criteria for assessment will be provided with the full assignment specifications.
Date due
2nd April to be submitted at the end of the session.

Assessment task 4 (Final examination)

Formal written examination.

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Task description
A written examination that will cover the syllabus and require students to demonstrate a detailed
knowledge of material covered in lectures and applied in tutorials and assignments through a
submission requiring computational and written responses to questions.
Task length
2 hours.
Links to unit’s intended learning outcomes
Covers the entire syllabus and all ILO’s.
Date due
Examination period.

Submission Details
Assignments 1 to 3 are to be submitted on or before the due date and time. Through the e-learning
platform. Written submissions may be accompanied by scripts and spreadsheets providing
computational work. These should be zipped before upload.
All assignments and practical reports should carry a cover page that shows:
1. your name
2. the course name
3. the assignment description
4. the date of submission
Marked assignments will be returned by email.

REQUESTS FOR EXTENSIONS

Requests for extensions must be made to the Course Coordinator as early as possible before the
due date. In requesting an extension, you are required to provide documentary support of medical
or personal circumstances, such as a doctor’s certificate, but you are not required to divulge
personal or medical details to teaching staff. Where appropriate, students are advised to make use
of the UWI Student Counselling services http://sta.uwi.edu/caps/.

A clash of deadlines with other units or foreseeable conflict between paid work and study are not
acceptable grounds for an extension.

PENALTIES
Unless an extension has been approved, late submissions will attract a penalty of 3 percentage
marks per day (including weekends and public holidays). The mark will be reduced by 3%, so if
a submission is graded at 65%, but is submitted two days late then the recorded mark will be 59%.

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An assignment will receive a grade of 0 if it is submitted more than 14 calendar days after the due
date.

REVIEW OF RESULTS AND APPEALS

Information concerning mechanisms for review of results is available on the Examinations office
website: http://sta.uwi.edu/examinations/grades.asp

EXPECTATIONS
The University is committed to high standards of professional conduct in all activities, and holds
its commitment and responsibilities to its students as being of paramount importance. Likewise, it
holds expectations about the responsibilities students have as they pursue their studies within the
special environment the University offers.
The University’s Code of Principles and Responsibilities for Students provides the student with
certain rights, but it also states that in return:
You are equally RESPONSIBLE for your own learning throughout your academic career and for
adhering to the schedule of dates and academic and non-academic regulations as stated in the
Undergraduate and Graduate Calendars.

LEARNING STRATEGIES
If you need assistance in preparing for study please refer to your lecturer.

ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT
In your written work you will need to support your ideas by referring to scholarly literature, texts,
and/or technical reports/manuals. It is important that you understand how to correctly refer to the
work of others and maintain academic integrity.

Failure to appropriately acknowledge the ideas of others constitutes academic dishonesty

(plagiarism), a matter considered by the University of the West Indies as a serious offence.

Plagiarism is a form of cheating. It is taking and using someone else's thoughts, writings or
inventions and representing them as your own, for example:
• using an author's words without putting them in quotation marks and citing the source;
• using an author's ideas without proper acknowledgment and citation; or
• copying another student's work.
If you have any doubts about how to refer to the work of others in your assignments, please consult
your lecturer or tutor for relevant referencing guidelines, and also see the relevant information
from the Faculty http://sta.uwi.edu/eng/ugrad/RelevantInformation.asp

The intentional copying of someone else’s work as one’s own is a serious offence punishable by
penalties that may range from a fine or deduction/cancellation of marks and, in the most serious

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of cases, to exclusion from a course or from the University. Details of penalties that can be
imposed are available in the University Examination Regulations.

The University and any persons authorised by the University may submit your assessable works
to a plagiarism checking service, to obtain a report on possible instances of plagiarism. Assessable
works may also be included in a reference database.

The appropriate referencing style for this course is the Harvard convention. A guide to citation and
protocols is available from the Main Library web site:
http://www.mainlib.uwi.tt/divisions/eps/guides/epschicagocite.pdf

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

Workplace Health and Safety
The University is committed to providing a safe and secure teaching and learning environment.
The University operates under the Trinidad and Tobago Occupational Health and Safety Act,
2006. The essence of this legislation is underpinned by the idea of a ‘Duty of Care’, whereby the
University and its employees have a duty of care to other employees, students and visitors, and
conversely as students, you have a duty of care to other students, visitors and employees of the
University. This means that we all have to look out for the health and safety of each other. To
facilitate this, the University has developed policies and procedures addressing many of the core
activities encountered during research and learning, including many of the hazards that you may
encounter. It is your responsibility to be familiar with and refer to these policies and procedures
when necessary. They can be found at: http://sta.uwi.edu/hse/healthAndSafetyPolicy.asp

Employee Safety Representatives

To facilitate the duty of care, the University has assigned roles within the professional staff
structure. Their task is to ensure that staff, students and visitors to the Department remain safe
whilst at the University or on University business. This is achieved through the dissemination of
relevant OH&S guidelines, regular audits of buildings, equipment and procedures, and the
reporting and addressing of hazards and incidents.

Within the Department, the Chief Technician has immediate responsibility for enforcement of
legislation and for reporting accidents that occur. The Chief Technician should be notified
immediately of any accidents or near misses that occur in and around the Department or whilst on
departmental activities.

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Medical Forms
When enrolling within the University you were required to complete a Medical. If any details have
changed since you last filled in the form, please complete another form. A copy of this form can
be obtained from: http://sta.uwi.edu/resources/documents/medical_form.doc

Fieldwork
Fieldwork is loosely defined as any teaching, learning and/or research activity that take place away
from the universities usual teaching facilities (i.e. lecture theatres, classrooms, tutorial rooms,
libraries etc). These include wilderness, rural and other natural environments, as well as urban,
commercial and industrial environments. Each of these particular environments has their
associated dangers and hazards, which must be addressed before entering them.

For all fieldwork the following points provide a minimum set of standards that are required. A
detailed set of safety instructions will be circulated pertaining to the precise activities involved,
closer to the event.

• Ensure appropriate clothing is worn. In the field, wear clothing that will provide
protection from the sun, vegetation and stinging insects. Footwear should be appropriate
to the type of terrain being traversed; thongs and sandals are generally not acceptable
footwear for any fieldwork. Long sleeves, long pants and hard boots are very useful if
working in close vegetation.
• Ensure you have sufficient food and hydration for the duration of the fieldwork.
• Ensure you bring any required medication with you i.e. Ventolin inhalers, insulin or
Epipens
• Follow instructions and directions given to you by the fieldwork leader.
• At the field site, familiarise yourself with the site, observe features that will allow you to
orientate yourself. Remain with your field party and do not wander off alone.
• Consider the nature of the environment and the potential types of risks that are inherent
at the site. Exercise care and common sense, avoiding actions that could potentially place
yourself or others in danger. Look out for others, be aware of their safety.
• Be aware of and keep away from potentially unstable ground, cliffs, steep sided gullies
and deep holes.
• If you do not have an item of safety equipment that you think is desirable for a particular
task (gloves, eye protection, helmets) then do not undertake that task, where the
appropriate safety equipment is available, use it appropriately.

SAFETY IS NOT A RULE BOOK - IT IS A STATE OF MIND

Students are encouraged to make appropriate suggestions and observations about fieldwork health
and safety and these can be directed to the Chief Technician.

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FURTHER INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE
If you are experiencing difficulties with your studies or assignments, have personal or life planning
issues, disability or illness which may affect your course of study, you should raise these with your
lecturer.

Services staff are located on campus and provide a wide range of services to assist students during
their period of study. Services include:
• Student Counselling services including counselling, diagnostic assessment and therapy:
http://sta.uwi.edu/caps/
• The Academic Support/Disabilities Liaison Unit offers academic support to students and
ensure equal access for those with disability: http://sta.uwi.edu/asdlu/
• Student employment services are geared towards part-time employment on and off
campus during the semester http://sta.uwi.edu/sas/services/career.asp
• Accommodation services maintain a database of accommodation on campus and in the
private sector locally: http://sta.uwi.edu/sas/accommodation/default.asp
• Financial assistance manage loan schemes that provide support in times of hardship:
http://sta.uwi.edu/sas/services/financialaid.asp
Should you require assistance in accessing the Library visit their website for more information at:
http://www.mainlib.uwi.tt/

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