What does the network positional accuracy of a control point quantify?

• A. The uncertainty in the coordinates of the control point with respect to the geodetic datum at the 95-percent confidence level.
• B. The time stability of the control point coordinates.
• C. The average distance between control points in the network.
• D. The precision of measuring instruments used in data collection.

Answer: (A)

The network positional accuracy is the uncertainty in a control point’s coordinates within the defined geodetic datum after the network has been adjusted. It represents how precisely that point’s position is known in the reference frame, usually stated at a 95% confidence level, meaning there’s a 95% probability the true position lies within the stated bounds around the computed coordinates. This accuracy comes from propagating measurement errors through the adjustment process and reflects factors like network geometry and observation quality. It is not about how far apart the points are, nor about how precise the instruments are by themselves, nor about how the point’s position might change over time.