298
April 2014
PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING & REMOTE SENSING
regarding Tahiti. Reports begin to appear during the 1930s
that consist of geodetic work performed in concert with hydro-
graphic surveys, and primarily represent astrolabe observa-
tions of island datum origins. (Wild T-3 theodolites were also
used for triangulation, but apparently without the astrolabe
attachment for astronomical use.) These positions sometimes
have baselines listed and sometimes also list orientation
azimuths, but most are just summarized as single positions
corrected for deviation of the vertical (
Après Correction des
Déviations de la Verticale
). Without exception, for French
Polynesian classical positioning the ellipsoid of reference is
the International 1924 where:
a
= 6,378,388 m, and 1/
f
= 297.
Sur La Déviation de la Verticale À Tahiti
,
M.A.Gou-
genheim, 1939, Annales Hydrographiques, Annales 1940-1945,
Paris 1946
: Punaauia (South End of Base) No. 1:
Φ
o
= 17° 38' 08.0" S,
Λ
o
= 151° 56' 40.5" E, and
α
o
= 178° 04'
38.4" Punaauia to Tataa. For this single published position on
Tahiti only, this was from the analysis of triangulation from
1844, and those computations were based on the
Dépôt de la
Guerre ellipsoid
where 1/
f
= 305.
For New Caledonia (
Nouvelle Calédonie
) triangulation per-
formed in 1935, Nouméa South Base origin point for a local
hydrographic survey:
Φ
o
= 22° 16' 35.0" S,
λ
o
= 166° 26' 03.5"
E. At Pointe Paagoumène, astrolabe observations were:
Φ
o
=
20° 29' 18" S,
Λ
o
= 164° 10' 57" E, and at
Sommet Tano
:
Φ
o
=
20° 29' 01.1" S,
Λ
o
= 164° 24' 27.5" E, H
o
= 461.83 m. (
by M.A.
Canuel, Enseigne de Vaisseau, Annales Hydrographiques, An-
nées 1938-1939, Paris 1946
).
For the Marquises, Haavei Bay (
Ua-Huka or Île de Huka
)
Astro:
Φ
o
= 08° 56' 00.8" S,
Λ
o
= 139° 35' 57.7" W, and
α
o
=
270° 59' 22" (Solar), with a baseline = 255.08 m. For
Île Hiva
Oa
,
Φ
o
= 09° 48' 27.5" S,
Λ
o
= 139° 02' 02.7" W with a baseline
= 336.31 m (
Mission Hydrographique en Polynésie Française,
1956-1960, Annales Hydrographique, 1960
).
For the Isle of Fangataufa origin,
Φ
o
= 22° 16' 38.8" S,
Λ
o
=
138° 45' 41.7" W with a baseline = 1,381.85 m, ± 5 cm. Elev-
en 1st order points (9 monumented) were established on the
island, and 21 2nd order points were established, all with a
Wild T-3 theodolite. On the Isle of Hao, the astro point was:
Φ
o
= 18° 06' 29.5" S,
Λ
o
= 140° 54' 25.5" W, surveyed in 1958
(
Annales Hydrographique, 1969
).
For the archipelago
Îles Australes
, the Tubuai Island astro
station is where:
Φ
o
= 23° 20' 40.2" S,
Λ
o
= 149° 29' 08.6" W,
and
α
o
= 40° 14' 16" from
Mataura Terme Sud
to
Terme Nord.
Lieutenant de vaisseau
(Naval Lieutenant)
Vallaux
performed
the observations with 16 sets of a Wild T-3 theodolite in Feb-
ruary 1969. On Tuamoto Atoll, the astro station is where:
Φ
o
= 14° 28' 36.9" S,
Λ
o
= 145° 02' 11.8" W, and
α
o
= 52° 42' 32.2"
from
Terme Sud
to
Terme Nord
on a baseline of 5,213.36 m,
observed in April, 1969. On Tureia, the astro station is where:
Φ
o
= 20° 46' 20.5" S,
Λ
o
= 138° 34' 10.0" W, and was observed
in June 1969 (
Annales Hydrographique, No. 739, 1974
).
For the Isle of Pitiahe, the origin is where:
ϕ
o
= 16° 28'
28.942" S,
λ
o
= 152° 14' 55.059" W, h
o
= 19.0 m, observed at
Terme Sud
by M. J.P. Thouin, I
ngénieur en Chef de ľArme-
ment
(
Hydrographie
) in February, 1983. This observation
is referenced to the WGS 72 Datum and ellipsoid where
a
=
6,378,135 m, and 1/
f
= 298.26 (
Mission Océanographique du
Pacifique 1 Oct 1982 – 3 Avril 1984, Annales Hydrographique
).
In 1954, a summary of practically all astro observations
performed in French Polynesia was published in
Annales
Hydrographique
. The listing included actual observational
results along with deviations of the vertical and the following
subsequent adopted positions:
1. ARCHIPEL DES TUAMOTU ET ÎLES GAMBIER
Ahunui
19° 36' 30.5" S 140° 25' 06.6" W
Akiaki
18° 33' 19.2" S 139° 13' 02.2" W
Anuanu Raro
20° 24' 42.4" S 143° 32' 12.8" W
Ankuanu Ruga
20° 36' 15.1" S 143° 17' 30.5" W
Fagataufa
22° 16' 38.8" S 138° 45' 41.7" W
Gambier (
Rikitea
)
22° 07' 02.3" S 134° 58' 09.8" W
Hercheretue (
Otetou
)
19° 51' 50.7" S 144° 59' 57.5" W
Makatea (
Temao
)
15° 49' 31.4" S 148° 16' 40.9" W
Manuhagi
19° 10' 53.7" S 141° 14' 56.1" W
Maria
22° 01' 10.5" S 136° 12' 10.4" W
Marutea
21° 28' 48.9" S 135° 38' 17.4" W
Maturei Vavao
21° 27' 17.5" S 136° 24' 36.8" W
Morane
20° 36' 15.1" S 143° 17' 30.5" W
Mururoa
21° 49' 59.0" S 138° 47' 04.0" W
Nukutavake (
Tavava
)
19° 16' 37.9" S 138° 46' 24.2" W
Nukutipipi
20° 41' 23.9" S 143° 03' 09.6" W
Paraoa
19° 07' 19.3" S 140° 43' 09.4" W
Pinaki
19° 23' 24.2" S 138° 40' 56.7" W
Pukaroa (
Marautagaroa
) 18° 16' 14.4" S 137° 04' 02.3" W
Reao (
Tapuarava
)
18° 27' 54.5" S 136° 27' 46.3" W
Takakoto (
Tumukuro
)
17° 20' 39.8" S 138° 27' 09.6" W
Tematagi
21° 37' 32.7" S 140° 37' 35.0" W
Temoe
23° 18' 59.5" S 134° 28' 56.5" W
Tureia (
Fakamaru
)
20° 46' 12.9" S 138° 33' 54.5" W
Vahaga
21° 19' 18.2" S 136° 39' 38.1" W
Vahitahi (
Temanufaara
) 18° 46' 32.2" S 138° 51' 22.2" W
Vairaatea
19° 19' 43.9" S 139° 13' 04.2" W
Vanavana
20° 46' 11.4" S 139° 08' 25.9" W
