Locating Data on Topographic Maps – A Field Exercise in Comparison of Navigation Methods

Abstract

Navigation skills routinely used by geologists are now significantly enhanced by the Global Positioning System (GPS). Geology students need to be familiar with new methods as well as traditional ones and to be able to judge which to use in specific field-work settings. This field exercise for undergraduate geology students combines three methods of map location: triangulation, GPS, and terrain inspection. In the course of this exercise, students learn and actively compare methods and use them all to generate an accurate map of surveyed targets. By the end of the exercise, students have acquired the skills to navigate accurately by all three methods, and they understand the sources of error in each method and the impact of those errors on their mapping.