Topographic Mapping

Abstract

This book is addressed to students and professionals and it is aimed to cover as much as possible the wider region of topographic mapping as it has been evolved into a modern field called geospatial information and technology. More emphasis is given to the use of scientific methods and tools that are materialised in algorithms and software and produce practical results. For this reason beyond the written material there are also many educational and professional software programs written by the author to comprehend the individual methodologies which are developed. Target of this book is to provide the people who work in fields of applications of topographic mapping (environment, geology, geography, cartography, engineering, geotechnical, agriculture, forestry, etc.) a source of knowledge for the wider region so that to help them in facing relevant problems as well as in preparing contracts and specifications for such type of work assigned to professionals and evaluating such contracting results. It is also aimed to be a reference of theory and practice for the professionals in Topographic Mapping. This book applies a didactics method where with a relatively small effort someone can digest a quite large volume of simple or complicated material of knowledge at a desirable scientific depth within a relative short time interval. The objective that educated people must be “smarter than the machine” and not to treat the machine as a “black box” being “button pushers” has been achieved, through the author’s experience in USA and Greece, with relative success by adopting this didactics technique. There are 11 chapters and two Appendices including: Reference systems and Projections, Topographic instruments and Geometry of coordinates, Conventional construction of a topographic map, Design and reproduction of a thematic map, Digital Topographic mapping – GIS, Digital Terrain Models (DTM / DEM), GPS, methods of Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, new technologies LIDAR, IFSAR, the method of Least Squares adjustment, Description of educational software accompanying the text.

Click the link below for the companion software files to accompany the book.
Hatzopoulos-TopographicMapping.zip

About the Author

Professor John N. Hatzopoulos, was born in Komiaki (Koronida) of Naxos, Greece. Graduated from National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) 1971 and received a diploma in Rural and Surveying Engineering ranked the first among the graduates. Awarded a research assistantship at the University of Washington Seattle, USA, in 1975 and finished his MSCE degree in 1976 and his Ph.D. degree in 1979, while working on various research projects in Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Was hired as an Associate Professor at the California State University Fresno (CSUF) Surveying Engineering program 1980 and his contribution to the program was that it became one of the top programs in the country. Was promoted to the rank of professor and got tenure in 1984 and worked at CSUF from 1980 to 1989. Resigned from CSUF and joined the Department of Environmental Studies at the University of Aegean, Greece, as a Professor since 1989. Established the Laboratory of Remote Sensing and GIS at the University of Aegean and is its Director since 1995. With the help of his colleagues, also established the Extended University Program of Environmental Cartography, and was the Chairman of the department from 1998 to 2001. His activities involve teaching, research and consulting in geomatic engineering, geospatial information and technology and computer-related applications. Is a Member of the Technical Chamber of Greece since 1971 and of the ASPRS since 1976. Is an ASPRS certified photogrammetrists (1986) and a professional Rural and Surveying Engineer in Greece.