On determining orthometric heights from a corrector surface model based on leveling observations, GNSS, and a geoid model

Abstract

Abstract Leveling is a traditional geodetic surveying technique that has been used to realize a vertical datum. However, this technique is time consuming and prone to accumulate errors, where it relies on starting from one station with a known orthometric height. Establishing orthometric heights using Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and a geoid model has been suggested [14], but this approach may involve less precisions than the direct measurements from leveling. In this study, an experimental study is presented to adjust the highly accurate leveling observations along with orthometric heights derived from GNSS observations and a geoid model. For the geoid model, the National Geodetic Survey’s gravimetric geoid model (TxGEOID16B) and hybrid geoid model (GEOID12B) were applied. Uncertainties in the leveled height differences, GNSS derived heights, and the geoid models were modeled, and a combined adjustment was implemented to construct the optimal combination of orthometric, ellipsoidal, and geoid height at each mark. As a result, the discrepancy from the published orthometric heights and the CSM (Corrector Surface Model) based adjusted orthometric heights with GEOID12B showed a mean and RMS of -8.5 mm and 16.6 mm, respectively, while TxGEOID16B had a mean and RMS of 28.9 mm and 34.6 mm, respectively. It should be emphasized that this approach was not influenced by the geodetic distribution of the stations where the correlation coefficients between the distance from the center of the surveying network and the discrepancy from the published heights using TxGEOID16B and GEOID12B are 0.03 and 0.36, respectively.