Progress and prospects of the Antarctic Geoid project (commission project 2.4)

Abstract

The Antarctic Geoid Project (AntGP) aims at the improvement of terrestrial observations of the gravity field in Antarctica and, eventually, at the improvement of the Antarctic geoid. Until present, vast areas of Antarctica are still unexplored with regard to gravity measurements. The polar data gap due to the deflection from a polar inclination of the respective satellite and the limitation to a certain harmonic degree of resolution prevent a complete, high-resolution data coverage to be obtained from the dedicated gravity satellite missions only. In this context, the International Polar Year (March 2007 to February 2009) provided a frame-work for broad international and interdisciplinary collaboration, which opened also an excellent opportunity for the realization of new gravity surveys. Especially, there was a focus on airborne gravimetry which provides the most powerful technique to carry out observations in vast and remote areas. The paper will review the present situation and will give an outlook to further activities. The feasibility of the regional geoid improvement in Antarctica will be discussed, utilizing the heterogeneous gravity data available from different surveys and techniques. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012.