High Resolution Regional Geoid Computation

A new methodology for the high-resolution geoid computation without application of the Stokes integral has been developed. This methodology renders simultaneously the observables of the type gravity potential and the modulus of the gravity intensity at the known (i.e. GPS positioned) surface of the earth. The method is comprised of following main steps, (i) Removal of the effect of the reference field of the ellipsoidal harmonic expansion to degree/order 360/360 plus the centrifugal field, (ii) Removal of the residual gravitation field of the terrain masses above the reference ellipsoid in a radius of 50 km around the computational points, (iii) Downward continuation of the harmonic incremental/disturbing observables of the type gravitational potential and gravitational intensity from the surface of the earth to the gravitational potential at the surface of the reference ellipsoid based on the inverse solution of the ellipsoidal Abel-Poisson integral and its gradient, (iv) Restoration of the reference field of ellipsoidal harmonic expansion of the degree/order 360/360 plus the centrifugal field and the effect of residual terrain masses in a radius of 50km around the computational point at the surface of the reference ellipsoid, (v) Conversion of the gravity potential values at the surface of reference ellipsoid to the geoidal undulations via the application of the ellipsoidal Bruns formula. As the case study high-resolution geoid of the state Baden-Württemberg Germany will be presented.