Twelve questions for u/Eisenhorn
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There are many approaches, but the most practical / easiest to execute are done when the water is frozen in place.
You could use a ruler in that case, if you were crazy and/or wanted to. There are, of course many more efficient ways than that.
How long would that ruler have to be to measure the curvature of an ocean?
Are you implying that it's impossible to measure the curvature of the Earth unless the surface is perfectly smooth?
Such as?
Most of the oceans don't freeze over, but the ones which do freeze (a few miles or so of them anyway - enough to measure such curvature) you could do with the same standard ruler the crazy (and obsessively committed, no doubt) person in my first hypothetical used.
Again, i am confused by your interpretation of the things i've said. What specifically did i say to make you think i implied that? Please provide specific quotes, as it will help me to understand the disconnect and possibly communicate with you more effectively in the future!
I was saying that measuring the surface of water to determine its curvature (or distinct lack thereof as the case may be) is much easier when the water is frozen solid - and mostly smooth. Accounting for and navigating topology is obviously not impossible - but it is much more difficult.
A surveyor's/trundle wheel for one! Lol.