clinometer

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clinometer

[klə′näm·əd·ər]

(engineering)

A hand-held surveying device for measuring vertical angles; consists of a sighting tube surmounted by a graduated vertical arc with an attached level bubble; used in meteorology to measure cloud height at night, in conjunction with a ceiling light, and in ordnance for boresighting. Also known as Abney level.

A device for measuring the amount of roll aboard ship.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Clinometer

a very simple geodetic instrument that is used to measure the slope angles of a terrain. A typical clinometer (see Figure 1) consists of a circular metal casing (1) and a sighting tube (2) that is fastened to the casing. The casing contains a graduated disk (3) on a spindle; attached to the disk is a weight that hangs

Figure 1. A clinometer

plumb, keeping the disk in a constant position. Other forms of clinometers are also available. The precision with which slope angles are determined by means of a clinometer does not exceed 0°.2.

clinometer

An instrument for measuring vertical angles.

clinometer

Closed-end curved glass tube filled with a liquid similar to kerosene and enclosing a round glass ball. It may be used as a leveling device or in a turn and slip indicator to indicate the relationship between the force of gravity and centrifugal force in a turn.

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References in periodicals archive ?

For this investigation, the authors used an Invicta clinometer ('Invicta' Plastics Limited, England) and instructions are specific to this instrument.

A middle-school classroom inquiry: estimating the height of a tree

If you are unwilling to spring for the cost of a handheld clinometer, there is another option if you own an iPhone: Several inexpensive apps turn your phone into an accurate clinometer.

Flying by vertical angles: unless you fly military hardware or something you built from a kit, it's unlikely you fly referencing angles. But there are things angles can do better than anything else

This is done by taking a slope reading using a clinometer from the base of the headcut to the gully length downstream, where a range pole is positioned in the middle of the gully Gully length was measured using a meter tape, through a series of traverses along the gully extent, from the headcut towards downstream, ending at the point that depth was less than 30.48 cm (1 ft).

Land use change and gully erosion in the Piedmont region of South Carolina

These were: light intensity at the face of the shelter [Yokogawa lux meter, Yew 3281], moisture of the soil at the base of the tree [Hydrosense, Campbell Scientific, Australia], ground slope (using a clinometer), ground cover (i.e., percent area leaf litter, bare ground, vascular plants) and the depth of loose litter above firm soil.

The use of tree-mounted artificial shelters to investigate arboreal spider communities in New Zealand nature reserves

The gradient of each plot was measured with a clinometer. Surface stoniness and litter were estimated as percentages.

Soil factors that influence the fruiting of Tuber melanosporum (black truffle)

At that marked point, they used a clinometer (forester's instrument that measures height/slope in order to determine tree height based on the angle of measurement) <See Figure 1> to measure the height of the tree.

Learning by leading: using best practices to develop leadership skills in at-risk and gifted populations

The essential tools of the soil surveyor have been the base map (either a geologic map or an aerial map), a spade, an auger or probe, a clinometer to determine slope, a soil color chart or set of color vials, and experience (Figure 15-1).

Chapter 15 Soil inventories and mapping

For example, they use an increment borer to age trees, soil pH and temperature meters, and a clinometer to estimate the height of the trees."

Youth contribute to success of water monitoring projects

Height of randomly selected trees along plot boundaries was measured with a clinometer. Trunk diameter at 1.3 m above ground surface (dbh) was measured with a diameter tape.

Herbage nitrogen recovery in a meadow and loblolly pine alley

The height of trees was measured to the nearest 0.1 m using a Suunto clinometer. In the rest of the plantations the average parameters of trees were estimated visually.

Some results of the afforestation of closed oil shale opencasts with exotic conifers

One or two days prior to the expedition, the math teacher demonstrates the use of a clinometer to calculate the height of various distant objects like mountains (i.e., buildings) and trees that the explorers will encounter on their journey (See insert on Handout B).