U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Ocean Service
Datums Page Page 1 of 6
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/06/1991
Station ID: 8656483 SUPERCEDED DATE: 04/21/2003
Name: DUKE MARINE LAB, BEAUFORT, BEAUFORT INLET
NORTH CAROLINA
NOAA Chart: 11547 Latitude: 34° 43.0' N
USGS Quad: BEAUFORT Longitude: 76° 40.3' W
To reach the tidal bench marks from the U.S. Highway 70 bridge over Beaufort
Channel west of Beaufort, proceed west on U.S. Highway 70 for 0.2 mile (0.3 km)
to the road leading to Pivers Island, turn left and go 0.4 mile (0.6 km) to Duke
Marine Laboratories. The bench marks are along the road leading to the
laboratories and on the grounds. The gage and staff are at the Duke Marine Lab
dock.
T I D A L B E N C H M A R K S
PRIMARY BENCH MARK STAMPING: NO 11 1964
MONUMENTATION: Survey Disk VM#: 547
AGENCY: PID#: AI9505
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Concrete Base
The bench mark is set in the SE corner of the SE concrete base of a flag and
wind gage tower, 61.0 feet (18.6 m) SE of the SE corner of a maintenance shop on
the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) grounds, 17.0 feet (5.2 m) east of
the SE corner of a concrete tank, and 6.6 feet (2.0 m) north of the NW corner of
the NMFS Seawater Lab.
BENCH MARK STAMPING: NO 12 1964
MONUMENTATION: Survey Disk VM#: 543
AGENCY: PID#: EA3076
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Rock Boulder
The primary bench mark is set in the SE corner of a rock outcropping which is
also used as a base for a plaque inscribed Duke University Marine Laboratory,
77.0 feet (23.5 m) east of the center entrance to a dining hall, 74.6 feet (22.7
m) NE of the NW corner of the Administration Building, and 71.2 feet (21.7 m)
south of the SW corner of building L-2.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Ocean Service
Page 2 of 6
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/06/1991
Station ID: 8656483 SUPERCEDED DATE: 04/21/2003
Name: DUKE MARINE LAB, BEAUFORT, BEAUFORT INLET
NORTH CAROLINA
NOAA Chart: 11547 Latitude: 34° 43.0' N
USGS Quad: BEAUFORT Longitude: 76° 40.3' W
T I D A L B E N C H M A R K S
BENCH MARK STAMPING: NO 9 1964
MONUMENTATION: Survey Disk VM#: 545
AGENCY: PID#: AI9504
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Concrete Foundation
The bench mark is set flush in the NW corner of an abandoned concrete base,
133.0 feet (40.5 m) SSE of a round concrete tank at the bridge exiting Pivers
Island, 59.3 feet (18.1 m) west of the SW corner of the administrative building
of the Department of Commerce, 16.8 feet (5.1 m) NE of the centerline of the
road leading to the Duke University Marine Laboratory, 2.7 feet (0.8 m) south of
the NW corner of the base, and 1.0 foot (0.3 m) east of the NW corner of the
base.
BENCH MARK STAMPING: NO 10 1964
MONUMENTATION: Survey Disk VM#: 546
AGENCY: PID#: AI9506
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Concrete Sea Wall
The bench mark is set into the top of the sea wall at National Marine Fisheries
on Pivers Island, 78 feet (24 m) NE of the center of a flag tower, 43.5 feet
(13.3 m) SE of the south corner of a pier, and 32.8 feet (10.0 m) east of
utility pole # 8146.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Ocean Service
Page 3 of 6
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/06/1991
Station ID: 8656483 SUPERCEDED DATE: 04/21/2003
Name: DUKE MARINE LAB, BEAUFORT, BEAUFORT INLET
NORTH CAROLINA
NOAA Chart: 11547 Latitude: 34° 43.0' N
USGS Quad: BEAUFORT Longitude: 76° 40.3' W
T I D A L B E N C H M A R K S
BENCH MARK STAMPING: NO 13 1964
MONUMENTATION: Survey Disk VM#: 548
AGENCY: PID#: AI9503
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Concrete Sea Wall
The bench mark is set in the sea wall, about 180 feet (55 m) SW of the SW corner
of the south dock on the Duke University Marine Laboratory property, 72.6 feet
(22.1 m) NE of the SE corner an office building, 70.6 feet (21.5 m) SE of the NE
corner of the Cartography office, and about 6.0 feet (1.8 m) above the
approximate shoreline.
BENCH MARK STAMPING: X 112 1963
MONUMENTATION: Survey Disk VM#: 549
AGENCY: PID#: EA0107
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Concrete Wingwall
The bench mark is set in the SW concrete wingwall at the SW corner of the U.S.
Highway 70 bridge over Beaufort Channel, 83.0 feet (25.3 m) north of the north
rail of the Beaufort and Morehead Railroad, 21.5 feet (6.6 m) south of the
centerline of the highway and 2.3 feet (0.7 m) south of the south face of the
guardrail, and 1.0 foot (0.3 m) above the highway.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Ocean Service
Page 4 of 6
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/06/1991
Station ID: 8656483 SUPERCEDED DATE: 04/21/2003
Name: DUKE MARINE LAB, BEAUFORT, BEAUFORT INLET
NORTH CAROLINA
NOAA Chart: 11547 Latitude: 34° 43.0' N
USGS Quad: BEAUFORT Longitude: 76° 40.3' W
T I D A L B E N C H M A R K S
BENCH MARK STAMPING: 6483 A 1980
MONUMENTATION: Survey Disk VM#: 550
AGENCY: PID:
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Stainless Steel Rod
The bench mark is 27.2 feet (8.3 m) south of a utility pole, 26.0 feet (7.9 m)
north of a concrete bulkhead, 15.4 feet (4.7 m) east of the centerline of the
bridge road leading to Pivers Island and National Marine Fisheries, and 2.3 feet
(0.7 m) east of the NW bridge abutment. The bench mark is crimped to a
stainless steel rod driven 42 feet (13 m) to refusal, and encased in a PVC pipe
and concrete kickblock.
BENCH MARK STAMPING: 6483 C 1980
MONUMENTATION: Survey Disk VM#: 552
AGENCY: PID:
SETTING CLASSIFICATION: Stainless Steel Rod
The bench mark is north of National Marine Fisheries, 223.7 feet (68.2 m) WSW of
the SW abutment of Beaufort Bridge, 70.0 feet (21.3 m) south of the north bound
lane of U.S. Highway 70, 15.0 feet (4.6 m) north of the north rail of a railroad
track, and 1.7 feet (0.5 m) north of utility pole # 1192. The bench mark is
crimped to a stainless steel rod driven 54 feet (16 m) to refusal, and encased
in a PVC pipe and concrete kickblock.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Ocean Service
Page 5 of 6
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/06/1991
Station ID: 8656483 SUPERCEDED DATE: 04/21/2003
Name: DUKE MARINE LAB, BEAUFORT, BEAUFORT INLET
NORTH CAROLINA
NOAA Chart: 11547 Latitude: 34° 43.0' N
USGS Quad: BEAUFORT Longitude: 76° 40.3' W
T I D A L D A T U M S
Tidal datums at DUKE MARINE LAB, BEAUFORT, BEAUFORT INLET based on:
LENGTH OF SERIES: 17 YEARS
TIME PERIOD: 1973-1989
TIDAL EPOCH: 1960-1978
CONTROL TIDE STATION: 8638610 HAMPTON ROADS, VA
Elevations of tidal datums referred to Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW), in FEET:
HIGHEST OBSERVED WATER LEVEL (01/01/1987) = 6.06
MEAN HIGHER HIGH WATER MHHW = 3.48
MEAN HIGH WATER MHW = 3.20
MEAN TIDE LEVEL MTL = 1.68
MEAN LOW WATER MLW = 0.16
MEAN LOWER LOW WATER MLLW = 0.00
LOWEST OBSERVED WATER LEVEL (01/11/1978) = -1.64
North American Vertical Datum (NAVD88)
Bench Mark Elevation Information In FEET above:
Stamping or Designation MLLW MHW
NO 11 1964 8.60 5.40
NO 12 1964 9.65 6.45
NO 9 1964 7.04 3.84
NO 10 1964 5.41 2.21
NO 13 1964 6.48 3.28
X 112 1963 17.21 14.01
6483 A 1980 7.78 4.58
6483 C 1980 8.48 5.28
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Ocean Service
Page 6 of 6
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/06/1991
Station ID: 8656483 SUPERCEDED DATE: 04/21/2003
Name: DUKE MARINE LAB, BEAUFORT, BEAUFORT INLET
NORTH CAROLINA
NOAA Chart: 11547 Latitude: 34° 43.0' N
USGS Quad: BEAUFORT Longitude: 76° 40.3' W
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 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.