THE EQUATORIAL RADIUS AND THE ZERO-ORDER UNDULATION OF THE GEOID.

Abstract

The equatorial radius (a) of the earth and the potential (W sub o) of the geoid may be determined from four, essentially independent, parameters: equatorial gravity, gamma sub e, from terrestrial gravity measurements;KM determined from lunar probes; the flattening,f, from close-orbit satellite analysis; and the rotational velocity of the earth. With these parameters defining a mean earth ellipsoid it is possible to find the zero-order undulation (N sub o) that must be added to the undulation obtained from the Stokes' equation in order to yield an absolute undulation with respect to a given reference ellipsoid. The following values were obtained: a = 6378153.9 + or - 8.7 m; W sub o = 6263674.7 + or - 8.5 kgal m; N sub o = -203.8 + or - 8.7 m (with respect to the International Ellipsoid).

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1966
Accession Number
AD0487435

Entities

People

  • Richard H. Rapp

Organizations

  • Ohio State University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Artificial Satellites
  • Ellipsoids
  • Equations
  • Geodesy
  • Geoids
  • Lunar Probes
  • Measurement
  • Measuring Instruments
  • Motion
  • Probes
  • Reference Ellipsoids
  • Undulation
  • Undulation Of The Geoid

Readers

  • Combustion science or combustion engineering.
  • Space Exploration and Orbital Mechanics.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Orbital Debris