New Gravimetric Infrastructure in Southeast Brazil: From Absolute Gravity Network to a Geoid Model
Publication: Journal of Surveying Engineering
Volume 148, Issue 3
Abstract
The study and understanding of the geodynamic aspects on the planet require global geodetic references with an order of accuracy better than the magnitude of the effects and with consistency and reliability. In this sense, this paper aims to present the new gravimetric infrastructure in the Brazilian southeast. A set of 22 absolute gravity stations were measured and materialized in the region. Additionally, gravity densification was carried out throughout the region aiming at a quasigeoid model. In the last decade, almost 3,000 points were collected. The model was computed by the least-squares collocation methodology using a recent geopotential model in the long- wavelength component and recent digital terrain model to compute the terrain correction. The quasigeoid model was validated with 136 global navigation satellite system (GNSS)/leveling stations and the RMS is 0.25 m. Furthermore, GNSS/leveling stations were compared with five recent geopotential models and the mean RMS difference was 0.28 m. Absolute and relative gravity stations will improve the national geodetic infrastructure, especially concerning the International Height Reference Frame and the International Gravity Reference Frame.
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Data Availability Statement
All data (gravity values, height anomalies derived from GNSS/leveling stations) used during the study are free and available online in the IBGE’s repository (IBGE 2019). Global gravity models are available at the International Centre for Global Earth Models (ICGEM, n.d.). The GRAVSFOT software package is free and was provided for the first author at the 9th International Geoid School. The absolute gravity stations report is available at Centro de Estudos de Geodesia (n.d.). Data and metadata are available at the Absolute Gravity Database (AGrav) (BGI, n.d.). The quasi-geoid model is available at the International Service for the Geoid (ISG, n.d.).
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) (financial code CNPQ 420555/2016-1) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) (financial code APQ-01547-17) for the financial support and the National Observatory for the loan of the gravimeter (Code 127/2017). The maps in this paper were compiled using the GMT (Generic Mapping Tools) software package version 5.3.2 (Wessel et al. 2013).
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Published In
Journal of Surveying Engineering
Volume 148 • Issue 3 • August 2022
Copyright
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 13, 2021
Accepted: Nov 24, 2021
Published online: Mar 16, 2022
Published in print: Aug 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Aug 16, 2022
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