Terrain Corrections in Gravity and Gradiometry

Abstract

Before the computation of short-wavelength and long-wavelength components of the geoid undulations from terrestrial data and the two latest satellite missions, i.e. gravity (GRACE mission) and gradiometry (GOCE mission) measurements, the terrain corrections must be determined. Since the corrections enter the first of the three steps of the Remove-Compute-Restore (RCR) procedure for applying Stokes’s integral, this study focuses on determining these corrections. Formulation of the effects introduced and the effects are computed over high elevated topography in Ireland using Helmert’s second condensation method. Finally, the effects of topography on geoid height determinations are presented.