CHAPTER Ii, SECTION 1
SURVEY.
Survey activities were directed by a Department Head located at Elmer and assisted by
Assistant Department Heads, supervising field
survey and office work at Eniwetok and Bikini
Atolls. During Operation HARDTACK, an
Assistant Department Head wasalso located at
Johnston Island. The organization of the Survey
Department consisted of field parties, normally
four men each, supporting office personnel, in-

cluding Computers and Draftsmen, and Supervisors for each location. Personnel increased
from 8 on 31 December 1956 to a peak of 73 on
11 March 1958.
Surveying activities during the interim and
build-up phases included topography at Rongelap, Truk, and Ponape; boundary surveys at
Rongelap, Nauru, Tarawa, Truk, Ponape, Utirik,
Ujelang, and Kusaie; an entrance channel reconnaissance at Taongi; and “as-built” and con-

struction surveys for rehabilitation of Rongelap
Village.

During the operational period, surveying
activities were concentrated on PAC construc-

tion at Elmer, David, and Fred, Scientific Station and barge location, horizontal and vertical
control, topographic mapping and plane table
surveys, hydrographic mapping, Microbarograph
Stations, barge and hull motion studies, tide
studies, and rainfall and temperature data

collection.

The transfer of the ABMA program to
Johnston Island resulted in a requirement to
determine precise measurements impractical to

obtain by conventional methods. To obtain this
information, a Tellurometer system was purchased. Later developments cancelled the require-

ment for these measurements. However, the
Tellurometer system was utilized at Eniketok
and Bikini Atolls. The Tellurometer system de-

termines distances by measuring the travel time
of high frequency radio waves and is capable
of accuracies of the order of 1 part in 100,000,

or better. The range of the system is stated to
be from 500 feet to 35 miles. The capabilities
of the Tellurometer system are such that many
of the precise surveys, now performed by triangulation requiring night operations, can be
accomplished in the daytime. Also, this system
is not affected by high winds, rain squalls, or
light refraction.
Horizontal Control — Eniwetok Atoll

The 1957 expansion survey established new

second order stations on Sites Yvonne, Sally, and
Gene and third order stations on Sites Glenn,

Henry, James, and Keith. The triangle closure

to include Station Lantana on Site Glenn exceeded the allowable closure limits; however,

the triangulation towers were damaged by a

(Neg. No. W-V-94-3)

Figure No. 2-13.

Elevation Check at

Station 1312 — Janet.

storm before they were completely rechecked.
An evaluation of the tentative results indicated

the values to be within a tolerance of one part
in 5000. Therefore, it was decided to defer re-

observation of the triangulation towers until
more precise values were required for the station.
Horizontal Control — Bikini Atoll

A requirement was received to determine

the relationship of two sites to within a tolerance

of one part in 25,000. An evaluation of the Bikini
network was made to determine if this requirement could be met without extensive additional
triangulation to first order specifications. This
evaluation indicated that if the full capacity
of the net were obtained by an adjustment by
the method of least squares, the net, while not
to first order specifications, should be well within

the required tolerances.

An adjustment was applied by the method
of least squares which indicated that the prob-

able error in a direction, as computed from the

adjustment, was 0.81 second. Only minor corrections were made to directions and distances as
determined by the side equation adjustment.

The 1953 Station Charlie on Site Charlie
was recovered in 1957 and its distance relation

measured to Station Chuck. Based on the adjusted values for these stations, a discrepancy
of 0.15 foot was found between the computed
and the measured distances.

A check survey of two large quadrangles
was completed in 1957 based on thefixed locations of Station Yoke, Oboe, Nan, and N. How,

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