|
Dynamic Height
Dynamic height is a way of specifying the vertical position of a point above a vertical datum; it is an alternative for orthometric height or normal height. It can be computed dividing the location's geopotential number by the normal gravity at 45 degree latitude (a constant). Dynamic height is constant if one follows the same gravity potential as one moves from place to place. Because of variations in gravity, surfaces having a constant difference in dynamic height may be closer or further apart in various places. Dynamic heights are usually chosen so that zero corresponds to the geoid. Dynamic height is the most appropriate height measure when working with the level of water over a large geographic area; it is used by the Great Lakes Datum in the US and Canada. When differential leveling is done, the path corresponds closely to following a value of dynamic height horizontally, but not to orthometric height for vertical changes measured on the leveling rod. Thus small co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vertical Position
Vertical position or vertical location, also known as vertical level or simply level, is a position along a vertical direction above or below a given vertical datum (reference level). Vertical distance or vertical separation is the distance between two vertical positions. Many vertical coordinates exist for expressing vertical position: depth, height, altitude, elevation, etc. Definitions The International Organization for Standardization (ISO), more specifically ISO 19111, offers the following two definitions: * ''depth'': "distance of a point from a chosen reference surface measured downward along a line perpendicular to that surface." * ''height'': "distance of a point from a chosen reference surface measured upward along a line perpendicular to that surface"; ISO 6709 (2008 version) makes the following additional definition: * ''altitude'': "height where the chosen reference surface is mean sea level" The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) offers similar def ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vertical Datum
In geodesy, surveying, hydrography and navigation, vertical datum or altimetric datum, is a reference coordinate surface used for vertical positions, such as the elevations of Earth-bound features (terrain, bathymetry, water level, and built structures) and altitudes of satellite orbits and in aviation. In planetary science, vertical datums are also known as zero-elevation surface or zero-level reference. Commonly adopted criteria for a vertical datum include the following approaches: * Tides, based on sea level when specific conditions occur, such as NOAA's National Geodetic Survey-produced Tidal Datums; * Gravimetric, based on a geoid; or geometric, based on the same Earth ellipsoids that are used in computing a horizontal datum, such as NOAA's planned gravimetric and Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)-based Datum of 2022 set to be released that year by the National Geodetic Survey. Prominent vertical datums in use by professionals include the National Geodetic Ver ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orthometric Height
The orthometric height is the vertical distance ''H'' along the plumb line from a point of interest to a reference surface known as the ''geoid'', the vertical datum that approximates mean sea level. Orthometric height is one of the scientific formalizations of a laypersons' "height above sea level", along with other types of heights in Geodesy. In the US, the current NAVD88 datum is tied to a defined elevation at one point rather than to any location's exact mean sea level. Orthometric heights are usually used in the US for engineering work, although dynamic height may be chosen for large-scale hydrological purposes. Heights for measured points are shown on National Geodetic Survey data sheets, data that was gathered over many decades by precise spirit leveling over thousands of miles. Alternatives to orthometric height include dynamic height and normal height, and various countries may choose to operate with those definitions instead of orthometric. They may also adopt sl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Normal Height
Normal heights is a type of height above sea level introduced by Mikhail Molodenskii. The normal height H^* (or H^N) of a point is computed as the ratio of a point's geopotential number (i.e. its geopotential difference with that of sea level), by the average, normal gravity computed along the plumb line of the point. (More precisely, along the ellipsoidal normal, averaging over the height range from 0 — on the reference ellipsoid — to H^*; the procedure is thus recursive.) Normal heights are thus dependent upon the reference ellipsoid chosen. The Soviet Union and many other Eastern European countries have chosen a height system based on normal heights, determined by geodetic precise levelling. Normal gravity values are easy to compute and "hypothesis-free", i.e., one does not have to know, as one would for computing orthometric heights, the density of the Earth's crust around the plumb line. The reference surface that normal heights are measured from is called the quasi-geoid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geopotential Number
Geopotential is the potential of the Earth's gravity field. For convenience it is often defined as the ''negative'' of the potential energy per unit mass, so that the gravity vector is obtained as the gradient of this potential, without the negation. In addition to the actual potential (the geopotential), a hypothetical normal potential and their difference, the disturbing potential, can also be defined. Concept For geophysical applications, gravity is distinguished from gravitation. Gravity is defined as the resultant force of gravitation and the centrifugal force caused by the Earth's rotation. Likewise, the respective scalar potentials can be added to form an effective potential called the geopotential, W. Global mean sea surface is close to one of the isosurfaces of the geopotential. This ''equipotential surface'', or surface of constant geopotential, is called the ''geoid''. How the gravitational force and the centrifugal force add up to a force orthogonal to the geoid is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Normal Gravity
In geodesy and geophysics, theoretical gravity or normal gravity is an approximation of the true gravity on Earth's surface by means of a mathematical model representing Earth. The most common model of a smoothed Earth is a rotating Earth ellipsoid of revolution (i.e., a spheroid). Principles The type of gravity model used for the Earth depends upon the degree of fidelity required for a given problem. For many problems such as aircraft simulation, it may be sufficient to consider gravity to be a constant, defined as: :g=g_= based upon data from ''World Geodetic System 1984'' ( WGS-84), where g is understood to be pointing 'down' in the local frame of reference. If it is desirable to model an object's weight on Earth as a function of latitude, one could use the following: :g=g_ - \tfrac(g_-g_) \cos\left(2\, \varphi \cdot \frac\right) where * g_ = * g_ = * g_ = * \varphi = latitude, between −90° and +90° Neither of these accounts for changes in gravity with changes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geoid
The geoid () is the shape that the ocean surface would take under the influence of the gravity of Earth, including gravitational attraction and Earth's rotation, if other influences such as winds and tides were absent. This surface is extended through the continents (such as with very narrow hypothetical canals). According to Gauss, who first described it, it is the "mathematical figure of the Earth", a smooth but irregular surface whose shape results from the uneven distribution of mass within and on the surface of Earth. It can be known only through extensive gravitational measurements and calculations. Despite being an important concept for almost 200 years in the history of geodesy and geophysics, it has been defined to high precision only since advances in satellite geodesy in the late 20th century. All points on a geoid surface have the same geopotential (the sum of gravitational potential energy and centrifugal potential energy). The force of gravity acts everywhere ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Differential Leveling
Levelling or leveling (American English; see spelling differences) is a branch of surveying, the object of which is to establish or verify or measure the height of specified points relative to a datum. It is widely used in geodesy and cartography to measure vertical position with respect to a vertical datum, and in construction to measure height differences of construction artifacts. Optical levelling Optical levelling, also known as spirit levelling and differential levelling, employs an ''optical level'', which consists of a precision telescope with crosshairs and stadia marks. The cross hairs are used to establish the level point on the target, and the stadia allow range-finding; stadia are usually at ratios of 100:1, in which case one metre between the stadia marks on the levelling staff represents 100metres from the target. The complete unit is normally mounted on a tripod, and the telescope can freely rotate 360° in a horizontal plane. The surveyor adjusts the instr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geopotential Height
Geopotential height or geopotential altitude is a vertical coordinate referenced to Earth's mean sea level, an adjustment to geometric height (altitude above mean sea level) that accounts for the variation of gravity with latitude and altitude. Thus, it can be considered a "gravity-adjusted height". It is the altitude all aircraft's barometric altimeters are calibrated to. Definition At an elevation of h, the geopotential is defined as: :\Phi(h) = \int_0^h g(\phi,z)\,dz\, , where g(\phi,z) is the acceleration due to gravity, \phi is latitude, and z is the geometric elevation. Thus geopotential is the gravitational potential energy per unit mass at that elevation. The geopotential height is: :(h) = \frac\, , which normalizes the geopotential to g_0 = 9.80665 m/s2, the standard gravity at mean sea level. Usage Geophysical sciences such as meteorology often prefer to express the horizontal pressure gradient force as the gradient of geopotential along a constant-pressure surface, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geodesy
Geodesy ( ) is the Earth science of accurately measuring and understanding Earth's figure (geometric shape and size), orientation in space, and gravity. The field also incorporates studies of how these properties change over time and equivalent measurements for other planets (known as ''planetary geodesy''). Geodynamical phenomena, including crustal motion, tides and polar motion, can be studied by designing global and national control networks, applying space geodesy and terrestrial geodetic techniques and relying on datums and coordinate systems. The job title is geodesist or geodetic surveyor. History Definition The word geodesy comes from the Ancient Greek word ''geodaisia'' (literally, "division of Earth"). It is primarily concerned with positioning within the temporally varying gravitational field. Geodesy in the German-speaking world is divided into "higher geodesy" ( or ), which is concerned with measuring Earth on the global scale, and "practical geodes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
