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Salary Ranges
Employment
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Topographic/Hydrographic Surveyor
Another area often overlooked when thinking about land surveying is hydrographic surveying. The land under bodies of water also must be surveyed.
Topographic surveyors measure and map the shape, contour,
and location of land features such as valleys, mountains, and
man-made objects on the surface of the land and below bodies
of water. Underwater topographic surveying is known as hydrography.
Hydrographic surveying
requires training with different types of high-tech equipment
and is used to measure erosion, guide dredging projects,
explore for oil, or mark underwater hazards. The shipping industry,
government
researchers, oil companies, and utility networks rely heavily
on these types of surveys.
The demand for surveyors who have training in hydrographic
surveying is high. Land under water constantly
changes due to currents and storms, so waterways
are often surveyed and re-surveyed to record changes.
According to the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, only 5 percent of the
Earth’s oceans have been mapped.
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