Fredericksburg (FRD) Geomagnetic Observatory
Station Id: FRD
Location: Corbin, VA
Latitude: 38.20°N
Longitude: 77.37°W
Elevation: 69 meters
Orientation: HDZF
Current Weather Conditions
Sections
Background
The Geomagnetism Program established its first observatory at Cheltenham Maryland in 1900, when the Program was part of the Coast and Geodetic Survey and under the leadership of Drs Louis A. Bauer and John A. Fleming. The observatory was moved to Fredericksburg in 1956, a site which for many years served as the Program’s headquarters. Today, because it has produced high-quality data for so many years, Fredericksburg is one of the world’s most important observatories.
In 1862 a major battle was fought at Fredericksburg Virginia during the American Civil War, a tragic event that cost over 15,000 lives, many of whom are buried at the nearby Fredericksburg National Cemetery.
Other Operations at Fredericksburg
- A seismometer for the USGS Advanced National Seismic System Program
- A global positioning system (GPS) station, and other survey equipment, for the National Geodetic Survey of NOAA, operated under terms of a memorandum of agreement with the USGS
Photos
Fredericksburg magnetic observatory.*
Main and auxiliary absolutes piers with Zeiss-Jena 010B Theodolites.*
Magnetic Variometers at the old Cheltenham Observatory. Adjustment of magnetic variometers at the old Cheltenham observatory by S. G. Townshend (left) and Geo. Hartnell (right). Photo taken November 1930.
* Pictures courtesy of Jeff Fox
