Physical Geodesy

This book is intended to be an "introductory text" and yet one finds complex equations on most pages. In terms of conceptual clarity and applications, the book also falls short, making it unsuitable as a textbook. It is more suited to researchers of advanced physical geodesy. 'Physical Geodesy'by Heiskanen and Moritz, published in 1967, has for a long time been considered as the standard introduction to its field. The enormous progress since then, however, required a complete reworking. While basic material could be retained other parts required a complete update. This concerns, above all, the adaptation to the fact that the geometry can now be precisely determined by methods such as GPS, and that new satellite methods, combined with terrestrial methods, also make a detailed determination of the earth's gravitational field a possibility and a necessity. Highlights include: emphasis on global integration of geometry and gravity, a simplified approach to Molodensky's theory without integral equations, and a general combination of all geodetic data by least-squares collocation. In the second edition minor mistakes have been corrected. "Physical Geodesy" by Heiskanen and Moritz, published in 1967, has for a long time been considered as the standard introduction to its field. The enormous progress since then, however, required a complete reworking. While basic material could be retained other parts required a complete update. This concerns, above all, the adaptation to the fact that the geometry can now be precisely determined by methods such as GPS, and that new satellite methods, combined with terrestrial methods, also make a detailed determination of the earth's gravitational field a possibility and a necessity. Highlights include: emphasis on global integration of geometry and gravity, a simplified approach to Molodensky's theory without integral equations, and a general combination of all geodetic data by least-squares collocation. In the second edition minor mistakes have been corrected "Physical Geodesy", published in 1967, has for many years been considered as the standard introduction to its field. The enormous progress since then has required a complete reworking. While basic material has been retained other parts are completely updated. However, there is a seamless welding of new ideas and methods (GPS, satellites, collocation). Highlights emphasis on global integration of geometry and gravity, a simplified approach to Molodensky's theory without integral equations, and a general combination of all geodetic data by least-squares collocation. In the second edition minor mistakes have been corrected. Contents......Page 10 1. Fundamentals of potential theory......Page 17 2. Gravity field of the earth......Page 57 3. Gravity reduction......Page 143 4. Heights......Page 171 6. Gravity field outside the earth......Page 253 7. Space methods......Page 269 8. Modern views on the determination of the figure of the earth......Page 303 9. Statistical methods in physical geodesy......Page 359 10. Least-squares collocation......Page 383 11. Computational methods......Page 393 References......Page 403 Subject index......Page 411 "Physical Geodesy", published in 1967, has for many years been considered as the standard introduction to its field. Highlights include: emphasis on global integration of geometry and gravity, a simplified approach to Molodensky's theory without integral equations, and a general combination of all geodetic data by least-squares collocation.