Measuring the Land: Long Words in a Surveyor's World

The People Who Measure the Ground

1Before a new road, park or neighborhood can be built, someone has to measure the land very carefully. That person is often a surveyor. Surveyors find property boundaries, the invisible lines that show where one piece of land ends and another begins. They also measure how high or low different parts of the ground are.

2Surveying is a very old profession. In ancient Egypt, the Nile River flooded its banks almost every year. When the water went down, people measured the fields again so that farmers would know which land was theirs. Measuring the land fairly helped neighbors avoid arguments about where their fields began and ended.

3Surveying was also an important job in the early history of the United States. As a young man, George Washington worked as a surveyor in Virginia. He measured land and drew maps of the places he explored. As the country grew, surveyors helped mark the borders of many new towns and states.

4Surveyors use special instruments. For many years, they used metal chains of a set length to measure distance. They also used a tool with a small telescope that sits on a three-legged stand called a tripod. With it, they could measure angles and distances with great care. Today, many surveyors also use signals from satellites and computers, which make their work faster and more dependable.

5A surveyor's work does not happen only outdoors. After collecting measurements, surveyors return to the office to check their calculations and make detailed drawings. Builders, engineers and town planners depend on these drawings. One incorrect measurement could cause a fence, a driveway or even a whole building to be placed in the wrong spot, so accuracy is essential.

6If you enjoy mathematics, being outside and solving problems, surveying might be a good career for you someday. Many surveyors say their job feels like solving a giant puzzle outdoors. The next time you walk past a construction site, look for a worker standing beside a tripod. That person might be measuring the ground beneath your feet.