COMPASS COMPARISON IN THE FIELD

This research is comparing three compasses to one another to see if there is any difference in the acquiring of the measurements. The results of the research benefits students when looking to buy a compass for geology courses. The compasses used in in the data collection were a Brunton Conventional Pocket Transit Compass Quad, the free Pocket Transit app, and Suunto MCB NH Mirror Compass. The measurements taken included the attitude (strike and dip) of boards placed in front of Manning Hall at Texas A&M Kingsville and the bearings from board to board laid on a specific map pattern. The data recorded for each compass were compared to data from the other two compasses. Data shows that the Suunto had an average 7.1% strike error, a 22.3% dip error, a 21.2% trend error, and a 24.5% plunge error, the Pocket Transit App had an average 11.7% strike error, 39.6% dip error, 16.6% trend error, and a 24.3% plunge error.

Based on the data, and from problems collecting data, such as the app giving only North readings or the compass having difficulty reading the dip angle, suggest that out of the three compasses tested the Brunton is the best investment for undergraduate geology students.