Combination of different types of gravity observation for precise geoid determination

The Global Positioning System (GPS) has become an indispensable component of both civil and Geomatics practices. However, the GPS observations provide heights that refer to a reference ellipsoid and are not directly suitable for practical purposes. To transform GPS heights into physical (orthometric) heights referenced to an equipotential surface representing mean sea level on land, a conversion model known as the geoid is essential. With the sub-centimetre accuracy of GPS observations, an accurate geoid model is also required to achieve the same accuracy for the orthometric heights. Geoid models are computed using different resources of the Earth’s gravity field observations including land or airborne gravity surveys and satellite gravity missions. These resources vary in their spatial and spectral resolutions due to their respective distances from the Earth’s surface and the sensors they employ for measurements.
Achieving the desired level of sub-centimetre accuracy in geoid modelling necessitates a combination of a uniform, high-resolution, and accurate gravity dataset. Consequently, determining the optimal combination of gravity observables from each resource is a complex and challenging task.

Faculty Supervisor:

Spiros Pagiatakis

Student:

Partner:

Sander Geophysics Limited

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

York University

Program: