What does the compass rule adjustment do in surveying?

The compass rule adjustment is an important technique used in surveying to ensure the accuracy of traverses. Specifically, this adjustment balances the total latitudes and total departures of a traverse.

In a traverse, which is a series of connected survey lines, each segment can have its own latitude and departure values that correspond to the north-south and east-west components of those segments. The principle behind the compass rule is that the sum of the latitudes should equal zero and the sum of the departures should also equal zero; this reflects the closure of the survey. If there are discrepancies in these sums, the compass rule allows surveyors to proportionally distribute any errors back into the individual segments, effectively balancing them out, which improves the overall accuracy of the survey as well as provides a means of detecting potential errors in measurements.

The other options do not pertain to the function of the compass rule. For instance, increasing travel distance relates to how much ground is covered during surveys, while measuring angles in three dimensions refers to a different aspect of surveying known as spatial orientation. Determining ground speed on slopes is unrelated to traversing or the adjustment of latitudes and departures in a system of measurements. Understanding the core function of the compass rule is essential for maintaining precision in