District of Columbia Height Modernization
Benefits
Surveyors prepare to take height
measurements near the Washington Monument.
Photo: NOAA.
The District of Columbia can benefit from Height Modernization because accurate heights support critical infrastructure including transportation systems, airplane runways and water delivery systems. Additionally, DC is vulnerable to hazards such as hurricanes, nor'easters, and changing sea levels that will place some areas at risk from coastal storm surge and flooding. Height Modernization will support emergency management planning, land use planning and management, and elevation changes monitoring to help address these additional challenges.
Projects
Surveying on the National Mall
The 2011 earthquake near Washington, D.C., shook the nation's capital with enough force to damage the Washington Monument, but not all effects of the earthquake are visible to the naked eye. Experts from the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) completed a leveling survey that will help determine whether the ground underneath the Monument shifted because of the quake. This is the first phase of a planned longer-term effort to assist the National Park Service (NPS) by regularly surveying the grounds of the National Mall.
Contact Information
For additional inquiries, contact the State Geodetic Advisor Program or the National Height Modernization Program directly. State geodetic advisors serve as liaisons between NOAA and regional or state organizations.
