Land surveying is an age-old career that has evolved and remained current through the years. These individuals are hired to give comprehensive and precise boundary information on parcels of land, as well as provide geospatial data — what is on the land and what may be underneath? Surveyors have long been consulted for construction projects, settlements for property disputes, or even map-making. Other similar professions with potential overlap in responsibility include land planners, civil engineers, and developers.  When you call a surveyor or one of the other capable professionals listed above, they have to start their research on the parcel of land. In other words, surveyors must survey using special equipment to make use of magnetism to submit a final, accurate drawing for legal reasons.  Using magnetic locators, surveyors can detect underground, ferrous objects like drums or septic tanks, as well as corner markers, property pins, nails, and more. But, how does that process work?

Magnetic Locators

Essentially, the Earth acts like a big magnet, meaning there is a magnetic field on and underneath the surface. A buried object made of steel or iron or some other ferrous material is affected by the earth’s magnetic field, as such, developing its own field, making it like another smaller magnet.  A magnetic locator senses these objects underground, detecting the difference in a magnetic field with two sensors, often made with coils. Then, it emits an audio signal to help the user detect the object and even determine some of its parameters or its orientation. 

Apex Magnets Can Be Used Anywhere

Remember, these kinds of professional magnetic locators only detect ferrous metals. That means if a magnet will adhere to it, the locator can find it. If the surveyor wants to also find non-ferrous metals like brass or copper, they may find more use with a metal detector. If you or your kids are interested in arts and crafts, consider checking out our “DIY Magnet Craft: Make Your Own Metal Detector.” If you ever have questions about how our products can be used in your industry, leave us a message. We can also customize rare earth magnets to suit your needs. Simply fill out a form and we’ll review your request and provide a quote in 1-2 days. There’s never any obligation to buy.