Concept:
Surveys are classified by the purpose they serve and the size of area they cover. Large scientific studies of the Earth require a special class of surveying.
Step 1:
Geodetic surveying takes into account the curvature of the earth and covers very large areas with high precision. It is used for scientific work such as determining the Earth's magnetic field, the shape and size of the earth, and the direction of continental drift.
Step 2:
Cadastral surveys deal with property boundaries, topographical surveys map natural and man made features, and aerial surveys use photographs from aircraft. None of these are meant for such large scale scientific determinations.
Answer: Option (3) — Geodetic surveying.