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A bias-free geodetic boundary value problem approach to height datum unification

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Abstract

A geodetic boundary value problem (GBVP) approach has been formulated which can be used for solving the problem of height datum unification. The developed technique is applied to a test area in Southwest Finland with approximate size of 1.5° × 3° and the bias of the corresponding local height datum (local geoid) with respect to the geoid is computed. For this purpose the bias-free potential difference and gravity difference observations of the test area are used and the offset (bias) of the height datum, i.e., Finnish Height Datum 2000 (N2000) fixed to Normaal Amsterdams Peil (NAP) as origin point, with respect to the geoid is computed. The results of this computation show that potential of the origin point of N2000, i.e., NAP, is (62636857.68 ± 0.5) (m2/s2) and as such is (0.191 ± 0.003) (m) under the geoid defined by W 0 = 62636855.8 (m2/s2). As the validity test of our methodology, the test area is divided into two parts and the corresponding potential difference and gravity difference observations are introduced into our GBVP separately and the bias of height datums of the two parts are computed with respect to the geoid. Obtaining approximately the same bias values for the height datums of the two parts being part of one height datum with one origin point proves the validity of our approach. Besides, the latter test shows the capability of our methodology for patch-wise application.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surveying and Geomatics Engineering, Center of Excellence in Geomatics Engineering and Disaster Prevention, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 11155-4563, Tehran, Iran

    Alireza A. Ardalan & Roohollah Karimi

  2. Finnish Geodetic Institute, Geodeetinrinne 2, P.O. Box 15, 02431, Masala, Finland

    M. Poutanen

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  1. Alireza A. Ardalan
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  2. Roohollah Karimi
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  3. M. Poutanen
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Correspondence to Alireza A. Ardalan.

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Ardalan, A.A., Karimi, R. & Poutanen, M. A bias-free geodetic boundary value problem approach to height datum unification. J Geod 84, 123–134 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-009-0348-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-009-0348-8

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