Laser Ranging Systems
Ten high precision corner reflecting prisms of the kind commonly used in surveying have been mounted along the ridge crest area near Turtle Mountain's South Peak and on Third Peak. A robotically (computer) controlled laser ranging theodolite at the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre is used to obtain high precision distance measurements to each prism each hour. These measurements are accurate to approximately 3 mm.
Four prisms are mounted on cement pillars constucted to maintain them solidly fixed above accumulated snow. Six have been mounted directly onto the near vertical slide scarp face 50 m or so down the east side of the mountain.
The four ridge crest prism sites are co-located with differential GPS stations.
