An integrated wavelet concept of physical geodesy

For the determination of the earth's gravity field many types of observations are nowadays available, including terrestrial gravimetry, airborne gravimetry, satellite-to-satellite tracking, satellite gradio-metry, etc. The mathematical connection between these observables on the one hand and gravity field and shape of the earth on the other is called the integrated concept of physical geodesy. In this paper harmonic wavelets are introduced by which the gravitational part of the gravity field can be approximated progressively better and better, reflecting an increasing flow of observations. An integrated concept of physical geodesy in terms of harmonic wavelets is presented. Essential tools for approximation are integration formulas relating an integral over an internal sphere to suitable linear combinations of observation functionals, i.e. linear functionals representing the geodetic observables. A scale discrete version of multiresolution is described for approximating the gravitational potential outside and on the earth's surface. Furthermore, an exact fully discrete wavelet approximation is developed for the case of band-limited wavelets. A method for combined global outer harmonic and local harmonic wavelet modelling is proposed corresponding to realistic earth's models. As examples, the role of wavelets is discussed for the classical Stokes problem, the oblique derivative problem, satellite-to-satellite tracking, satellite gravity gradiometry and combined satellite-to-satellite tracking and gradiometry. Received: 28 February 1997 / Accepted: 17 November 1997     

球内Dirichlet问题解及其应用

本文基于球内调和函数的Ｄｉｒｉｃｈｌｅｔ问题的球谐解式,推导了球内调和空间的Ｐｏｉｓｓｏｎ积分,将其应用于航空重力测量数据的向下延拓时,积分边界面是空中面,边界值是空中重力异常或纯重力异常,推求地面重力异常可直接积分计算,而勿需像球外Ｐｏｉｓｓｏｎ积分那样迭代求解积分方程。     

Discussion of Mean Gravity Along the Plumbline

According to the definition of the orthometric height, the mean value of gravity along the plumbline between the Earth's surface and the geoid is defined in an integral sense. In Helmert's (1890) definition of the orthometric height, a linear change of the gravity with depth is assumed. The mean gravity is determined so that the observed gravity at the Earth's surface is reduced to the approximate mid-point of the plumbline using Poincaré-Prey's gravity gradient. Niethammer (1932) and later Mader (1954) took into account the mean value of the gravimetric terrain correction within the topography considering the constant topographical density distribution along the plumbline (for more details see Heiskanen and Moritz, 1967). Vaníek et al. (1995) included the effect of the lateral variation of the topographical density into the definition of Helmert's orthometric height. Recently, Hwang and Hsiao (2003) discussed the influence of the vertical gradient of disturbing gravity on the orthometric heights. In this paper, the mean integral value of gravity along the plumbline within the topography is defined so that the actual topographical density distribution and the change of the disturbing gravity with depth are taken into account. Based on the definition of the mean gravity, the relation between the orthometric and normal heights is discussed.