Meaning of Altimetry

Meaning of Altimetry

It is called altimetry to the branch of the topography specialized in measuring height. It should be remembered that topography is the discipline that is responsible for the detailed description of surfaces.

Also known as hypsometry, altimetry encompasses various processes, methodologies and techniques for determining and representing the height of a point, taking into account a certain reference plane. In this way, altimetry enables the representation of the relief.

The instrument that allows to know the distance in height that exists between a point and the reference plane is known as an altimeter. Thanks to this instrument, you can discover how high a point is with respect to sea level.

According to DigoPaul, altimetry, in this way, is present in aviation. The altimeter is among the most important flight instruments as it constantly measures how high an aircraft flies. To offer this data, the tool calculates the distance that exists, vertically, between the aircraft and sea level.

This makes altimetry key for aviation as flight routes are organized by altitude. An aircraft, therefore, has to fly at a certain height according to the route assigned to the pilot; This data comes from the altimeter.

In addition to all the above, it is worth knowing other interesting data such as these:
-In altimetry, what is known as leveling plays a fundamental role. This is an operation that aims to discover the level distances that exist between the various points on the same terrain. For this, data such as the reference surface, elevation, level line, altitude, mean sea level will be used
-Altimetry and this leveling will play a fundamental role in the realization of an endless number of projects, such as the drainage of towns, the construction of highways, the start-up of railways, the start-up of channels or viaducts, the elevation of considerable bridges…

Various sports, such as skydiving, mountaineering and skiing, also appeal to altimetry. In these cases, the altimeter allows to know what type of unevenness the athlete is going through and how their ascent or descent is developing.

What’s more, within cycling altimetry also plays a fundamental role since it allows from the organizer of a race to determine the ascents that it will have until the runner can know at all times which are the hardest sections and which will require more effort of the entire test.

Of course, it goes without saying that it is also very useful for athletes who practice pedestrism. Thus, when athletes train for the competition, thanks to the altimetry data, they can prepare it much better. Knowing this information will help them to know when they should make the most effort on the journey, what their heart rate may be…

Altimetry