Index
Glossary

Search ASCM by Rectangular Area
 
Allows the user to search for Alberta Survey Control Markers (ASCM) using Latitude - Longitude or Northing - Easting coordinates to retrieve markers within a specified area.
 
Coordinate Type

Latitude - Longitude - the geographic coordinates of the marker displayed in units of degrees, minutes and seconds
 
Northing - north-south mapping plane coordinate, displayed in metres, referenced to the equator and derived from the marker's geographic coordinates using the specified Transverse Mercator projection
 
Easting - east-west mapping plane coordinate, displayed in metres, derived from the marker's geographic coordinates using the specified Transverse Mercator projection. For 3TM projection, the easting of the central meridian is zero; coordinates are positive to the east and negative to the west. For UTM projection, a false easting of 500000 metres is assigned to the central meridian so that all eastings within the specified zone are positive; coordinates increase to the east and decrease to the west.
 
Marker Condition - last reported physical condition of the marker; only markers meeting exact condition(s) chosen will be returned (marker conditions originally chosen remain selected until changed by the user)
  • Installed - marker recently installed in the field (complete location description or field inspection report pending)
  • Good - latest field inspection reported marker to be in good physical condition
  • Anomalous - marker appears unstable as result of data processing by Director of Surveys (DOS), or by evidence reported by an Alberta Land Surveyor re physical damage or disturbance
  • Destroyed - marker certified "physically lost" after a thorough search by an Alberta Land Surveyor
 
Marker Type - general format of the ASCM ID Card Type; only markers meeting exact type(s) chosen will be returned (marker types originally chosen remain selected until changed by the user)
  • Preliminary - new or recently installed marker with coordinates that have not been approved/adopted by DOS or coordinates/elevation for a published marker due to be revised by DOS
  • Final - rural/urban markers that have been approved/adopted and published by DOS
 
Card Format - ASCM ID Card produced formatted to either UTM or 3TM coordinates (card format originally chosen remains selected until changed by the user)
  • UTM - Universal Transverse Mercator - mapping plane zone is 6 degrees wide (UTM central meridians in Alberta are 111 and 117 degrees west longitude)
  • 3TM - 3-degree Transverse Mercator - mapping plane zone is 3 degrees wide for urban ASCMs and 2 or 4 degrees wide for rural ASCMs (3TM central meridians in Alberta are 111, 114, 117 and 120 degrees west longitude)
Note: For 3TM urban ASCMs the zone is 1.5 degrees wide on either side of the central meridian. For 3TM rural ASCMs the zone is 1 degree wide on either side of the central meridians of 111 and 117 degrees west longitude and 2 degrees wide on either side of the central meridians of 114 and 120 degrees west longitude (Alberta only).
 
Enter degrees, minutes and seconds or enter the north-south and east-west mapping plane coordinates then search; ASCMs are returned in a search summary results grid.
 
Note: If required, click the "Printable List" icon to create a list of all search results returned to the grid.
 
Under "View" click a "View Full ASCM" icon to retrieve an individual ASCM ID card or click the "View on Map" icon to locate the ASCM on the Alberta Map. The maximum number of ASCMs returned by a search is 1000, if you exceed this limit you will be asked to reduce the search area (i.e., adjust latitude-longitude or northing-easting coordinates).
 
Note: Multiple ASCM ID cards may be added to the shopping cart for checkout (maximum 250 per shopping cart), upon checkout they will be combined into a single .pdf file format for download. If necessary, card format can be changed from the shopping cart by using the drop down menu.
 
Enter latitude - longitude coordinates (i.e., degrees, minutes and seconds) of the northwest and southeast corners of the search area.
 
 
Select mapping plan and reference meridian (based on North American Datum 1983) then enter northing-easting coordinates (i.e., required metres) of the northwest and southeast corners of the search area.
 
 
Note: ASCM information, made available through the Spin System, is not guaranteed or supported by the Spin2 Help Desk. For support, contact Geodetic Control Unit - Alberta Environment and Parks (Telephone: 1-780-422-1291 or Fax: 1-780-427-1493).
 

For more detailed explanations of ASCM information see the Alberta Survey Control Products Manual.