Sandra Pulmano

GE 153 Laboratory Exercise 2 & 3

Due March 20, 2014, 5PM

Geoid Heights
The Earth Gravitational Model (EGM) is a geopotential model of the earth composed of spherical harmonic coefficients to a certain degree and order. The EGM84, EGM96, and EGM2008 are composite solutions up to degrees 180, 360, and 2159 respectively.

P Northing POINT A B C D E F G H I J
1620828.6 1622106.7 1622240.2 1621524.3 1621445.3 1620175.5 1620694.4 1619919.7 1620405.1 1620832.5

Easting
506285.13 507628.23 503533.44 504669.79 506784.02 507499.93 507897.38 506466.15 506886.72 505605.68

LAT
14.661 14.673 14.674 14.667 14.667 14.655 14.66 14.653 14.657 14.661

LONG
123.058 123.071 123.033 123.043 123.063 123.07 123.073 123.06 123.064 123.052

h
98.2 109.249 74.019 90.4 108.06 106.981 116.06 102.884 111.113 91.181

H
(EGM2008) 46.812 46.696 46.679 46.751 46.753 46.87 46.823 46.89 46.851 46.812 46.7937

N1
51.388 62.553 27.34 43.649 61.307 60.111 69.237 55.994 64.262 44.369 54.021

H
(EGM96) 46.457 46.36 46.253 46.354 46.404 46.551 46.506 46.548 46.515 46.442 46.439

N2
51.743 62.889 27.766 44.046 61.656 60.43 69.554 56.336 64.598 44.739 54.376

H
(EGM84) 46.609 46.527 46.469 46.54 46.566 46.674 46.637 46.678 46.65 46.601 46.5951

N3
51.591 62.722 27.55 43.86 61.494 60.307 69.423 56.206 64.463 44.58 54.220

Based on the GPS points, I converted the map grid coordinates (northings, eastings) to geographic coordinates (latitude, longitude) using an online converter. These geographic coordinates are to be used to compute for the geoid heights of EGM84, EGM96, and EGM2008 using also an online converter (http://geographiclib.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/GeoidEval). Based on the difference in values of the geoid heights of the EGM2008 an EGM84, the newer EGMs are not actually and necessarily more accurate than those of the later versions even though the degree and order of the spherical harmonics coefficients in EGM2008 is higher. There were variations in the gravity field of the earth between the span of time between 1984 and 2008 so the values of the geoid height are expected to be different.

Deflection of the Vertical Heights 1.

According to Helmert, the vertical deflection is the difference in angle between the direction of the gravity vector and the ellipsoidal normal through the same point at the earths surface. In other words, it is the angular difference between the plumb line and the line perpendicular to the ellipsoid. It is defined by , where (north-south component) is the corresponding deflection of the vertical in the prime vertical and (east-west component) is the corresponding deflection of the vertical at the meridian. is equal to the difference between the astronomical latitude and the geodetic latitude ( ) while is equal to the difference between the astronomical longitude and the geodetic longitude, scaled for meridional convergence (( ) cos ). On the other hand, Molodensky defines the vertical deflection as the angle at a point P between the direction of the gravity vector at P and the direction of the normal gravity vector at the conjugate point Q where Q is the intersection of the spheropotential surface and its normal through P. Here, the normal potential of this spherop is equal to the actual gravity potential at P. This deflection of the vertical can be determined from gravimetric data. The difference between the two definitions is the point of definition and the directions of the actual gravity vector. This means that the equipotential surfaces of the actual gravity field are locally non-parallel. The Helmert and Molodensky deflections at a point is due to the curvature of the normal plumb line which occurs only in the south-north component. 2. The Vening-Meinesz Formula is used to compute for meridian and prime vertical components of the vertical deflection at point A on the earths surface given by:

where o is a certain inner zone of A, -o is an outer zone of A and Sm() and V m() are auxiliary linear combinations:

where (0,), Pk(cos ) is the Legendre polynomial of degree k and and associated Legendre function of degree k.

(cos ) is the first order

Meanwhile, the inverse of Vening-Meinesz formula can be derived which converts the deflection of the vertical to gravity anomaly. In this formula, the geiodal undulation, the gravity anomaly, and the deflection of the vertical, which all have an identical boundary surface, are transformed mutually.

References
Jekeli C. (1999). An analysis of vertical deflections derived from high-degree spherical harmonic models. Journal of Geodesy, Volume 73, Retrieved March 13, 2014, from http://geodesy.geology.ohiostate.edu/course/refpapers/Jekeli_JGR_v73_10_22.pdf Featherstone W. (November 1999). The Use and Abuse of Vertical Deflections. Sixth South East Asian Surveryors Congress. Neyman Yu. M., Li J., Liu Q. (1996). Modification of Stokes and Vening-Meinesz formulas for the inner zone of arbitrary shape by minimization of upper bound truncation errors. Journal of Geodesy, Volume 70, Retrieved March 13, 2014 from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF01090816#page-1 Luying C., Houze X. (2006). General inverse of Stokes, Vening-Meinesz and Modolensky formulae. Science in China: Series D Earth Sciences, Retrieved March 13, 2014 from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11430-0060499-x#page-2 Hwang C. (1998). Inverse Vening Meinesz formula and deflection-geoid formula: applications to the predictions of gravity and geoid over the South China Sea. Journal of Geodesy, Volume 72, Retrieved March 13, 2014 from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs001900050169#page-2 Earth Gravitational Model 2008 (EGM2008). National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Retrieved March 14, 2014 from http://earth-info.nga.mil/GandG/wgs84/gravitymod/egm2008/