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Effect of a high-resolution global crustal model on gravimetric geoid determination: a case study in a mountainous region

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Abstract

A precise gravimetric geoid model is determined by using Stokes formula assuming that there is no topography above the geoid. Then, the geoid model is simply corrected by considering the constant crustal density of 2670 kg m−3 for topographical mass. In fact, the actual density of topographical mass differs about ±20% from the constant value. Recently a global crustal density model within 30″ resolution has been released by the University of New Brunswick in Canada. The paper is devoted to the study of the effect of using this model on the accuracy of gravimetric geoid in a mountainous region in Turkey. Numerical results prove that the differences in the geoid height due to this model may reach up to several decimetres, which should not be ignored in a precise geoid modelling with 1-cm geoid. Thus, it is concluded that the effect of topographical density variations, contained in this model, is significant and should be taken into account in precise geoid determination, particularly in mountainous regions.

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Acknowledgments

The author thanks to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rahmi Aksoy at Geology Department at Konya Technical University for his beneficial discussion during the compilation of the manuscript. The gravity and GNSS-levelling data were provided by two projects funded by the Research Fund of Selcuk University in Turkey under grants 09-101-009 and 17-401-084.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geomatics Engineering, Technical University of Konya, Konya, 42130, Turkey

    Ramazan Alpay Abbak

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  1. Ramazan Alpay Abbak
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Correspondence to Ramazan Alpay Abbak.

Additional information

Computer code availability: The software exploited in the present study was developed in C programming language, which is freely available under the license of GNU public. Interested readers can obtain the software with experimental data from the author. In order to learn how it works, please see Abbak and Ustun (2015). Inquiries and bug reports about the software are welcome to the author.

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Abbak, R.A. Effect of a high-resolution global crustal model on gravimetric geoid determination: a case study in a mountainous region. Stud Geophys Geod 64, 436–451 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11200-020-1023-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11200-020-1023-z

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