Subject: Re: Fiat boundaries
Date: May 05, 2001 @ 13:57
Author: Peter Smaardijk ("Peter Smaardijk" <smaardijk@...>)
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I too think that this is strange. But some stones have metal rods
planted on them, 1.20 m long, with a small sign on top, on which
probably used to be a number. Because of the rust no number is
visible nowadays. As you can see in some pictures, only the metal rod
is sticking above the ground.

Peter S.

--- In BoundaryPoint@y..., michael donner <m@d...> wrote:
> couldnt follow the dutch so well
> but it strikes me as very curious that areas subject to the
accumulation of
> sand dunes would be specially marked by such low stones
> while all the regular monuments on this line are so outstandingly
tall
>
> m
>
>
> >
> >I suspect that in a lot of cases, the principle of the boundary
lay-
> >out is specified in a treaty (like "the 49 deg. line"), but the
> >actual demarcation is left for after the conclusion of the treaty.
> >Then the field work starts, and errors inevitably creep in. The
> >border markers are put on their spots, and from that time they are
> >considered to be standing right on the border. So I think Brendans
> >guess that the lines between bdy. markers are great circles is
> >basically correct. That is, of course, if the boundary treaty
speakes
> >of a line like a parallel or some other line normally perceived
> >as "straight". Sometimes, a boundary between two markers is defined
> >in a treaty as "following a river" or some other feature in the
> >field. In that case, other rules apply, of course.
> >
> >In this respect, it is interesting to know that along the benl
> >border, very well marked by those nice and tall border monuments,
> >this also occurs. On some stretches, auxiliary border markers are
> >used. Eef Berns has a nice photo report of one of these stretches
> >(where a lot of moving sand dunes constantly made the border a lot
> >less visible) at <http://home.wanadoo.nl/~eefberns/tussenpaaltjes%>
> >http://home.wanadoo.nl/~eefberns/tussenpaaltjes%
> >20bij%20putte.html .
> >
> >Peter S.
> >
> >--- In BoundaryPoint@y..., "Brendan Whyte" <brwhyte@h...> wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> >From: "Jesper & Nicolette Nielsen" <jesniel@i...>
> >> >Reply-To: BoundaryPoint@y...
> >> >To: <BoundaryPoint@y...>
> >> >Subject: [BoundaryPoint] Fiat boundaries
> >> >Date: Tue, 1 May 2001 07:45:41 +0200
> >> >
> >> >Which international boundaries are 100% fiat, meaning 100%
> >straight?
> >> >
> >> >On the map I see:
> >> >
> >> >Morocco-Western Sahara
> >> >Algeria-Mauretania
> >> >Western Sahara-Algeria
> >> >Nigeria-Chad
> >> >
> >> >But perhaps there are minor irregularities I cannot see on my
map,
> >so who
> >> >can confirm this?
> >> >
> >>
> >> Define 'straight'. Especially on a sphere. The only stright line
on
> >a sphere
> >> occurs on a great circle. A line following any parallel apart
fomr
> >the
> >> equator (the only great circle of latitude) is not straight, it
> >bends left
> >> or right. Therefore the US Canada boundary along the 49th is NOT
a
> >straight
> >> line.
> >> therefore the N-S segments of Mor-West sahara, the small WS-Alg
and
> >parts of
> >> Niger-Chad probably are.
> >> Second, although defined in treaties as following given parallels
> >or
> >> latitudes, or 'stright lines' joining certian points on diagonals
> >(eg
> >> Algeria's boundaries... are they great circles, or not?), most
> >boundaries on
> >> the ground are straight lines joining pillars erected where the
> >paralleles
> >> etc are thought at the time to be.
> >> The US-Canada boundary was so defined, a series of line segments
> >joining
> >> pillars. Even if the pillars ARE on the 49th, the 'stright lines'
> >joining
> >> them will not be except at those pillars. So at leats once,
> >intermediate
> >> pillars were erected to make shorter line segments, and keep the
> >boundary as
> >> close as practical to the pilars.
> >>
> >> I am guessing that a straight line of sight fomr a pillar to
> >another IS a
> >> great circle segment.
> >>
> >> BW
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> >Jesper
> >> >
> >>
> >>
>
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