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Combined Curvature and Refraction Correction Calculator

Evaluate the explicitly named historical combined curvature/refraction approximation 0.0675*dKm^2 meters; fixed conventional coefficient, not measured refraction or an exact universal Earth model.

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Description

Evaluate the fixed combined curvature/refraction approximation 0.0675 times squared distance in kilometers.

Geodesy distinguishes a mathematical reference ellipsoid, a realized coordinate datum and the physical gravity field. Geodetic latitude follows the ellipsoid normal; geocentric latitude follows a radius from the center. Ellipsoidal height, orthometric height and geoid undulation are separate signed quantities. Keep the declared ellipsoid, coordinate axes, angular units and time scale with a result.

Evaluate the fixed combined curvature/refraction approximation 0.0675 times squared distance in kilometers.

When to use this tool

Use this tool when you need to evaluate the fixed combined curvature/refraction approximation 0.0675 times squared distance in kilometers.

How to use the tool and how it works

  1. Enter horizontalDistanceKm using the definitions below.
  2. Run the operation. Resolve input-format errors before interpreting an output.
  3. Read result.combinedCorrectionMeters, using the stated boundary, ordering, sign and absence conventions.

Return 0.0675×horizontalDistanceKm² in meters.1

Input fieldMeaning and unitsAccepted input
horizontalDistanceKmNonnegative horizontal offset in kilometers, at most 100.Finite numeric value satisfying the stated comparisons.
Output fieldInterpretation
resultObject containing the fields below.
result.combinedCorrectionMetersFixed-coefficient combined curvature/refraction amount in meters.
json
{
  "input": {
    "horizontalDistanceKm": 2
  },
  "output": {
    "result": {
      "combinedCorrectionMeters": 0.27
    }
  }
}

Limitations and assumptions

  • Distance lies from zero through 100 km. The coefficient encodes one fixed combined curvature/refraction approximation; no actual atmosphere, Earth radius or observer geometry is inferred.
  • All quantities are finite and retain the units stated for this operation. Ellipsoid-parameter tools use semi-major axis 1–10⁸ m and dimensionless flattening 0–0.02; explicit-axis tools use 0.9a≤b≤a unless a tighter bound is stated. These tools do not fetch datums, geoid grids, satellite observations or Earth-orientation updates.
  • Every declared outer field is required and unknown outer fields are rejected. Strings and JSON text have size limits, lists are bounded to 128 entries, and JSON nesting/node counts are bounded. Tighter operation-specific bounds stated above take precedence.
  • Numeric results must be finite. Large physical magnitudes are allowed by the output evidence checks, while integer fields and source schemas retain their exactness rules. Source indexes are zero-based. Floating-point residues can remain even where an ideal formula gives an exact zero.

Alternative or Complementary methods

Use a coordinate transform for a change of representation and explicit datum parameters for a change of reference frame. Preserve model and convergence metadata, and use observation and datum information appropriate to a real survey before interpreting a computed tolerance as accuracy.

References

  1. Tool behavior and example: Combined Curvature and Refraction Correction c=0.0675d² Calculator — tool.io

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