Recent content by bilcoy

Yes, OK. I see that my assumption was wrong. It just occurred to me that a dumbbell shaped mass would have a net center of gravity, but a plumb bob constructed on either end would point the center of nearest "bell". Thanks to all that responded.

"That procedure is perfectly reliable on a planet that is a perfect reference ellipsoid (with perfectly uniform density). On such a perfect planet the direction of the local vertical is perfectly predictable: perpendicular to the reference ellipsoid. That allows you to process surveying data: It...

Well, the influence of rotation is not the issue. As I said, it's the MOUNTAIN! Can the mountain be part of the net effect and also have special local influence?

I was reading in my geology book (Earth: An Introduction To Physical Geography, 7th ed. by Tarbuck and Lutgens, 2002, p.560) that "during the first survey of India, an error in measurement occurred because the plumb bob on an instrument was deflected by the massive Himalayas." There is more...