The area survey is designed to sample a region by acquiring measurements at a uniform spacing along X- and Y-axes in a regular cartesian grid. The direction of travel with an instrument is commonly referred to as a traverse (or line), and traverses are commonly separated by a uniform distance (typically between 0.25 m to several meters, depending on the desired sampling density). Along each traverse geophysical measurements, or samples, are obtained at regular intervals (see traverses and samples) dictated by the nature of the instrument and the desired sampling density (as small as 0.01 m for ground penetrating radar to several meters).

The zig-zag method in area surveys saves a great deal of walking compared to the parallel survey method, and therefore time, because one does not need to return to a start-point at the far end of a survey area with each traverse. It is therefore the preferred survey method.

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