A geodetic traverse starts at a point with a given position and with a known ______ to another point and then ______ are measured between a series of survey points.

• A. azimuth; angles and distances
• B. distances; angles
• C. azimuth; angles
• D. angle; distances

Answer: (A)

Starting a geodetic traverse with a known azimuth from the starting point fixes the path’s orientation in the coordinate system. With that orientation set, the survey then records the turning angles at the survey stations and the distances along each segment between points. The angles tell how the traverse changes direction from leg to leg, while the distances determine how long each leg is. Together, these measurements allow you to determine the coordinates of all points along the traverse, anchored by the starting position and its initial azimuth. Without a known azimuth, the traverse could rotate as a whole; without distances there’d be no scale to the path; without angles, you wouldn’t know how directions change along the route.