Management of Survey Control Operations & Tasks (MASCOT)

The Management of Survey Control Operations & Tasks (MASCOT) system consists of a network of over 50,000 survey control monuments situated in the valleys and mountains throughout British Columbia. This network of monuments was established from mapping and control surveys conducted over the last century.

During the 1960s, through a partnership between the B.C. Provincial Government and local governments, the physical control system was extended to developing areas. MASCOT is a database of the provincial control survey's physical system and provides published coordinates and elevations and related data for public access and use.  

Update Cycle

A daily update occurs when any attribute of a Geodetic Control Marker (GCM) is changed. This attribute may be horizontal coordinates, elevation, marker location description, marker condition, etc. Any change to a GCM is reflected in all "Textual" and "Graphics" based access of data, available to the user on the day following any change. The daily update ensures that data is always up-to-date.  Last Update: Wednesday December 6, 2017.

How to Use

Search for a geodetic control monument to get its final coordinates using 3 different methods

Text Queries: (Terms of Use Acceptance Required)

Query by GCM Number
Query by Latitude and Longitude (File downloads available)
Query by Northing and Easting (File downloads available)
Query by Tablet Marking
Query by Point and Pseudo-Circle (File downloads available)
Query by KeyWord
Query by Municipal Code (File downloads available)

Spatial Queries:

Query by Map

KML layer for viewing in Google Earth:

MASCOT Layer on Google Earth

Sketch Cards:

Sketch Cards or Marker Location Diagrams are available as downloadable GIF files via the above MASCOT queries. For more information on sketch card access and printing click here.

Transform Coordinates

Datums are reference systems that define a geodetic network. Two different datums are used in North America:

• North American Datum of 1927 (NAD27)
• North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83)

The National Transformation Version 2 (NTv2) software and data package provides a national standard for transforming coordinates between NAD27 and NAD83.

NTv2 software is provided by Natural Resources Canada. There is no cost to use NTv2.

• Use the NTv2 online computation tool

Comments/Questions?

Submit a Survey Monument Condition Report
Email us Problems/Comments?

Survey Utilities

Computation on the Ellipsoid

1. Compute Latitude and Longitude using DIRECT problem
2. Compute Geodetic Observation using INVERSE Problem

Mapping Plane Computations

1. Compute Northing and Easting using DIRECT Problem
2. Compute Grid Observation using INVERSE Problem
3. Meridian Convergence and Point Scale Factor Computation
4. Line Scale Factor and (T-t) Correction Computation

Transformations with Grid and Geographic Coordinates

1. Compute Northing, Easting from Latitude, Longitude
2. Compute Latitude, Longitude from Northing, Easting
3. Compute X, Y, Z from Latitude, Longitude and h 
   (link to the US National Geodetic Survey - NGS)
4. Compute Latitude, Longitude and h from X, Y, Z 
   (link to the US National Geodetic Survey - NGS) 

Observation Reductions to/from the Ellipsoid

1. Distance Reduction to the Ellipsoid
2. Distance Reduction from the Ellipsoid
3. Direction Reduction to the Ellipsoid
4. Direction Reduction from the Ellipsoid
5. Azimuth Reduction to the Ellipsoid
6. Azimuth Reduction from the Ellipsoid

National Transformation (NTv2) Coordinate Conversions

Calculate Magnetic Declination

Sample Files and Download Formats

Long and Short Form Field Descriptions
Tab Delimited File Downloading
Sample Long Form
Sample Short Form