aerotriangulation—The determination of horizontal and/or vertical coordinates of points on the ground, from measurements performed using overlapping aerial photographs and from already known coordinates of points on the ground.

aerotriangulation, analytical—Where coordinates of ground points are derived from measured coordinates of image-points using mathematical functions rather than a physical model to represent the relationship between image-point and object-point.

aerotriangulation, analytical radial—Where the unknown coordinates of ground points are determined mathematically from measure coordinates (on the image) of radial centers and directions to the images of the unknown points.

aerotriangulation, three-point method of radial—A method of determining the horizontal coordinates of the ground points corresponding to the principal points of overlapping aerial photographs, by resecting on three horizontal-control points appearing in the overlap.

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Source: NSPS “Definitions of Surveying and Associated Terms“, used with permission.

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