Sunday, July 13, 2008

Struve Geodetic Arc

Struve Geodetic Arc - UNESCO World Heritage

Struve Geodetic Arc is the first scientific and technological landmark in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is also the world heritage that goes through the largest number of countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine.

Measurement of the triangulation chain known as the Struve Geodetic Arc took place between 1816 and 1855. It comprises 258 main triangles and 265 station points. The northernmost point is located near Hammerfest in Norway and the southernmost point near the Black Sea in Ukraine.

Before satellites could be used for land surveying, the necessary measurements were made by determining the angles of the triangulation network.

In Asia there is a similar arc called the Great Arc going from south of India to the Himalayas.

Today, measurements are made using GPS instruments based on satellite positioning.

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