DEGREE MEASUREMENT EXPEDITION:
The measuring instruments
The measurements
The measurement sites
base line
Tornio
Kaakamavaara
Nivavaara
Huitaperi
Aavasaksa
Horilankero
Pullinki
Niemivaara
Kittisvaara

The measuring sites

The Maupertuis party arrived in Tornio in order to construct the needed chain of triangular measurement sites in the archipelago just off Tornio, in the Gulf of Bothnia. Camus, Outhier and Sommereux inspected the archipelago between Tornio and Raahe only to find out that the islands were all too low for the specific purpose.

The headmaster of Tornio school, Mr Wegelius suggested that the measurements be made on the fells close to the river Tornionjoki instead. The work was begun by finding the suitable angular points of the triangles. The southernmost point was naturally the belfry of Tornio Church and the Kittisvaara fell became the northernmost point. Other measurement points were Kaakamavaara, Nivavaara, Horilankero, Aavasaksa, Huitaperi, Niemivaara and Pullinki fells. In addition to this there were the measuring points of the base line Luppio and Poiki-Torni by the Tornionjoki river. The expedition climbed many other fells of the area, too, to inspect their suitability as measuring points.

After the points had been found the angles between different points and the angular height of each aiming device were defined.