Geoid profiles in the Baltic Sea determined using GPS and sea level surface

Abstract

The idea was to compare the geoid of sea areas by an independent method, like GPS levelling, on the mainland. On the earth surface we can compare the gravimetric geoid with GPS levelling to get an accuracy estimation and tilt information. On the sea we can do it by the GPS methodology and eliminating the current water tilt corrections and the sea surface topography effect. A modern GPS device on board a ferry can store data every second and determine heights with an accuracy of a few centimetres (using the kinematic method with the post-processing of data obtained from several base stations close to the ferry line). As a result, it is possible to observe the current water level's relative profile in reference to the ellipsoid. Some areas close to Estonia, such as the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland, are not completely covered by gravity measurements. The Baltic Sea has been measured using airborne gravimetry with the accuracy of about 2 mGal. Therefore, the gravimetric geoid is not fully reliable for the region either. If we take into account the tilt of the water level at the moment of measurement, we can observe the relative change of the geoid using an independent methodology, which serves as a comparison to the gravimetric geoid solution. The main problem during the measurement campaign, of course, was how to eliminate a water tilt. Water placement in relation to level surface is a very complex issue; special studies of that were conducted as well.