U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Ocean Service
Datums Page Page 1 of 5
Station ID: 8658579 PUBLICATION DATE: 06/16/2004
Name: SUNNY POINT, MOTSU NORTH WHARF
NC
NOAA Chart: 11537 Latitude: 34° 1.4' N ( 34.02330)
USGS Quad: CAROLINA BEACH Longitude: 77° 56.8' W ( -77.94670)
To reach the tidal bench marks from the post office in South Port, proceed west
one block, then turn right and proceed north on Howe Street for 2.4 km (1.5 mi),
then turn right and proceed north on State Road 87 for 5.0 km (3.1 mi), then
turn right onto Brunswick Road to the entrance of Military Ocean Terminal, Sunny
Point and proceed 5.3 km (3.3 mi) past the main gate, then turn right onto Sunny
Point Road and proceed for 0.8 km (0.5 mi), then turn left at Center Wharf Road
and proceed to the north end of Wharf No 3. The bench marks are locate NW of
Fire Station No. 299. The tide gage and staff were on the NE portion of the
wharf.
T I D A L B E N C H M A R K S
PRIMARY BENCH MARK STAMPING: NO 1 1976
DESIGNATION: 865 8579 TIDAL 1
MONUMENTATION: Tidal Station disk VM#: 3598
AGENCY: National Ocean Survey (NOS) IDB PID#: EA1281
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Concrete floor OPUS PID:
LATITUDE: 34° 1.4' N ( 34.02330) LONGITUDE: 77° 56.8' W ( -77.94670)
The primary bench mark is a disk set flush in the concrete floor at the NE side
of the wharf, 5 m (15 ft) east of the most easterly railroad track, 3 m (9 ft)
NE of the NE corner of Fire Station No 299, 1 m (3 ft) NW of the northernmost
steel cleat on the NE face of the pier, and 0.3 m (1 ft) west of the SW corner
of the concrete railing base north of the fire station.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Ocean Service
Page 2 of 5
Station ID: 8658579 PUBLICATION DATE: 06/16/2004
Name: SUNNY POINT, MOTSU NORTH WHARF
NC
NOAA Chart: 11537 Latitude: 34° 1.4' N ( 34.02330)
USGS Quad: CAROLINA BEACH Longitude: 77° 56.8' W ( -77.94670)
T I D A L B E N C H M A R K S
BENCH MARK STAMPING: NO 1776 - 1976
DESIGNATION: 865 8579 TIDAL 1776
MONUMENTATION: Tidal Station disk VM#: 3597
AGENCY: National Ocean Survey (NOS) IDB PID#: EA1277
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Concrete abutment OPUS PID:
LATITUDE: 34° 1.5' N ( 34.02500) LONGITUDE: 77° 56.8' W ( -77.94670)
The bench mark is a disk set flush in the top of a concrete abutment on the SW
side of the north entrance to the wharf, 6 m (20 ft) west of the most westerly
railroad track on the north side of the ramp, 4 m (13 ft) east of the east side
of guard shack NO S-310, 1 m (2 ft) SW of the most southwesterly vertical
railing on the western curve end of the pier ramp, and 0.3 m (1 ft) below the
railing.
BENCH MARK STAMPING: NO 2 1976
DESIGNATION: 865 8579 TIDAL 2
MONUMENTATION: Tidal Station disk VM#: 3599
AGENCY: National Ocean Survey (NOS) IDB PID#: EA1280
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Concrete sidewalk OPUS PID:
LATITUDE: 34° 1.5' N ( 34.02500) LONGITUDE: 77° 56.8' W ( -77.94670)
The bench mark is a disk set flush in the concrete sidewalk on the NW side of
the wharf, 5 m (16 ft) west of the western railroad track on the wharf, 2 m (6
ft) NE of the NE corner of Fire Station No 300, 1 m (4 ft) SE of lightpole #66
with fire telephone, and 0.61 m (2.0 ft) east of the concrete railing base on
the west side of the pier.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Ocean Service
Page 3 of 5
Station ID: 8658579 PUBLICATION DATE: 06/16/2004
Name: SUNNY POINT, MOTSU NORTH WHARF
NC
NOAA Chart: 11537 Latitude: 34° 1.4' N ( 34.02330)
USGS Quad: CAROLINA BEACH Longitude: 77° 56.8' W ( -77.94670)
T I D A L B E N C H M A R K S
BENCH MARK STAMPING: NO 3 1976
DESIGNATION: 865 8579 TIDAL 3
MONUMENTATION: Tidal Station disk VM#: 3600
AGENCY: National Ocean Survey (NOS) IDB PID#: EA1279
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Concrete sidewalk OPUS PID:
LATITUDE: 34° 1.5' N ( 34.02500) LONGITUDE: 77° 56.8' W ( -77.94670)
The bench mark is a disk set flush in the concrete sidewalk on the NW curve
leading to the wharf, 4 m (14 ft) west of the west wharf railing, 0.61 m (2.0
ft) ENE of the concrete railing on the NW side of the ramp and 1 m (2 ft) NNW of
a drill hole survey point in the concrete.
BENCH MARK STAMPING: NO 4 1976
DESIGNATION: 865 8579 TIDAL 4
MONUMENTATION: Tidal Station disk VM#: 3601
AGENCY: National Ocean Survey (NOS) IDB PID#: EA1278
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Concrete sidewalk OPUS PID:
LATITUDE: 34° 1.5' N ( 34.02500) LONGITUDE: 77° 56.8' W ( -77.94670)
The bench mark is a disk set flush in the concrete sidewalk on the north side of
the ramp entrance leading to the wharf, 9.91 m (32.5 ft) NE of the NE corner of
guard shack No. S-310, 0.76 m (2.5 ft) north of the northerly railroad track,
and 0.30 m (1.0 ft) SW of the concrete curb rail of the NE S curve of the ramp.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Ocean Service
Page 4 of 5
Station ID: 8658579 PUBLICATION DATE: 06/16/2004
Name: SUNNY POINT, MOTSU NORTH WHARF
NC
NOAA Chart: 11537 Latitude: 34° 1.4' N ( 34.02330)
USGS Quad: CAROLINA BEACH Longitude: 77° 56.8' W ( -77.94670)
T I D A L D A T U M S
Tidal datums at SUNNY POINT, MOTSU NORTH WHARF based on:
LENGTH OF SERIES: 3 MONTHS
TIME PERIOD: April 1976 - June 1976
TIDAL EPOCH: 1983-2001
CONTROL TIDE STATION: 8658120 WILMINGTON, CAPE FEAR RIVER
Elevations of tidal datums referred to Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW), in METERS:
MEAN HIGHER HIGH WATER MHHW = 1.409
MEAN HIGH WATER MHW = 1.313
North American Vertical Datum NAVD88 = 0.810
MEAN SEA LEVEL MSL = 0.697
MEAN TIDE LEVEL MTL = 0.681
MEAN LOW WATER MLW = 0.048
MEAN LOWER LOW WATER MLLW = 0.000
North American Vertical Datum (NAVD88)
Bench Mark Elevation Information In METERS above:
Stamping or Designation MLLW MHW
NO 1 1976 3.563 2.250
NO 1776 - 1976 3.878 2.565
NO 2 1976 3.861 2.548
NO 3 1976 3.884 2.571
NO 4 1976 3.807 2.494
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Ocean Service
Page 5 of 5
Station ID: 8658579 PUBLICATION DATE: 06/16/2004
Name: SUNNY POINT, MOTSU NORTH WHARF
NC
NOAA Chart: 11537 Latitude: 34° 1.4' N ( 34.02330)
USGS Quad: CAROLINA BEACH Longitude: 77° 56.8' W ( -77.94670)
D E F I N I T I O N S
Mean Sea Level (MSL) is a tidal datum determined over a 19-year National Tidal
Datum Epoch. It pertains to local mean sea level and should not be confused
with the fixed datums of North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88).
NAVD88 is a fixed datum derived from a simultaneous, least squares, minimum
constraint adjustment of Canadian/Mexican/United States leveling observations.
Local mean sea level observed at Father Point/Rimouski, Canada was held fixed as
the single initial constraint. NAVD88 replaces NGVD29 as the national
standard geodetic reference for heights. Bench mark elevations relative to
NAVD88 are available from NGS through the World Wide Web at
National Geodetic Survey.
NGVD29 is a fixed datum adopted as a national standard geodetic reference for
heights but is now considered superseded. NGVD29 is sometimes referred to as
Sea Level Datum of 1929 or as Mean Sea Level on some early issues of Geological
Survey Topographic Quads. NGVD29 was originally derived from a general
adjustment of the first-order leveling networks of the U.S. and Canada after
holding mean sea level observed at 26 long term tide stations as fixed.
Numerous local and wide-spread adjustments have been made since establishment in
1929. Bench mark elevations relative to NGVD29 are available from the National
Geodetic Survey (NGS) data base via the World Wide Web at
National Geodetic Survey.
NAVD88 and NGVD29 are fixed geodetic datums whose elevation relationships to
local MSL and other tidal datums may not be consistent from one location to
another.
The Vertical Mark Number (VM#) and PID# shown on the bench mark sheet are unique
identifiers for bench marks in the tidal and geodetic databases, respectively.
Each bench mark in either database has a single, unique VM# and/or PID# assigned.
Where both VM# and PID# are indicated, both tidal and geodetic elevations are
available for the bench mark listed. The NGS's Integrated Data Base (IDB PID)
provides geodetic datum based on traditionally leveled and bluebooked ties to
the National Spatial Reference System(NSRS) https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/datasheets/.
The NGS Online Positioning User Service (OPUS PID) provides geodetic datum based
on GPS position & tie it to the NSRS https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/OPUS/.
The NAVD88 elevation is shown on the Elevations of Tidal Datums Table Referred
to MLLW only when two or more of the bench marks listed have NAVD88 elevations.
The NAVD88 elevation relationship shown in the table is derived from an average
of several bench mark elevations relative to tide station datum. As a result of
this averaging, NAVD88 bench mark elevations computed indirectly from the tidal
datums elevation table may differ slightly from NAVD88 elevations listed for
each bench mark in the NGS database.