A revision of R. Mather's work on the determination of stationary sea surface topography and global vertical datum definition

Abstract

In the period 1973–1978 a great deal of R.S. Mather's work had been directed to practical approaches to the solution of the global vertical datum problem, aiming at an overall precision of about 15 cm. While in the earlier publications emphasis had been put upon purely terrestrial approaches (based upon the geodetic boundary value problem) R.S. Mather soon realized the potentialities of satellite altimetry. Some first numerical investigations based upon GEOS-3 altimeter data proved the principal applicability of this approach, but also indicated some deficiencies due to systematic errors in terrestrial gravity anomalies and insufficient precision of current geopotential models.