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Fitting gravimetric geoid models to vertical deflections

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Abstract

Regional gravimetric geoid and quasigeoid models are now commonly fitted to GPS-levelling data, which simultaneously absorbs levelling, GPS and quasi/geoid errors due to their inseparability. We propose that independent vertical deflections are used instead, which are not affected by this inseparability problem. The formulation is set out for geoid slopes and changes in slopes. Application to 1,080 astrogeodetic deflections over Australia for the AUSGeoid98 model shows that it is feasible, but the poor quality of the historical astrogeodetic deflections led to some unrealistic values.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Western Australian Centre for Geodesy, The Institute for Geoscience Research, Curtin University of Technology, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA, 6845, Australia

    W. E. Featherstone

  2. Department of Geomatics Engineering, The Centre for Bioengineering Research and Education, Schulich School of Engineering, The University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada

    D. D. Lichti

Authors
  1. W. E. Featherstone
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  2. D. D. Lichti
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Correspondence to W. E. Featherstone.

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Featherstone, W.E., Lichti, D.D. Fitting gravimetric geoid models to vertical deflections. J Geod 83, 583–589 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-008-0263-4

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