EARTHS CURVATURE AND ATMOSPHERIC REFRACTION

Line of sight

B Horizontal line A

h C level line

D K

Curvature effect

- the effect of earths curvature is the amount by which the level

surface passing through point A departs from a horizontal plane at
the distance AD from the point of tangency

Refraction correction

- rays of light passing through the earths atmosphere in any

direction other than vertical are refracted or bent from a straight
path. This bending usually takes place in a direction toward the
earths surface under normal conditions of temperature and
pressure gradients. Such bent rays of light tend to diminish the
effect of curvature a slight amount, normally about 14% of the
curvature effect

Elementary Surveying Notes of AM Fillone (DLSU-Manila)

Derivation of Curvature and Refraction

Earths A K B
surface
hr
K
hcr hc

From the figure,

hr - refraction correction
hc - curvature correction
hcr the effect of both the curvature and refraction
K the horizontal distance/level surface distance
R - mean radius of the earth, approx. 6,371 km

Considering right triangle ABO, by Pythagorean theorem

K2 + R2 = (R + hc)2

K2 + R2 = (R2 + 2Rhc + hc2)

Since h is so small, hc2 can be considered negligible

Hence, K2 = 2Rhc and since R = 6,371 km

K2
hc = -------------- x 1000
2 (6,371)

hc = 0.0785 K2 Eq. (1)

where hc is in meters
K in kilometers

Elementary Surveying Notes of AM Fillone (DLSU-Manila)

From studies, refraction correction hr is approximately hc/7.

From the figure,

hcr = hc - hr = hc hc/7

hcr = (6/7)hc Eq. (2)

Substituting Eq. (1) to Eq. (2)

hcr = (6/7)(0.0785K2)

hcr = 0.0675K2 Eq. (3)

where hcr is in meters

K is in kilometers

Elementary Surveying Notes of AM Fillone (DLSU-Manila)