Geoid Change in Alaska

November 14, 2019  |  2-3 pm, Eastern Time

Dr. Ryan Hardy, National Geodetic Survey

NGS's upcoming geopotential datum will require a dynamic geoid model to maintain centimeter-height accuracy. Geoid change is especially challenging to model in Alaska. Geophysical processes in Alaska, including rapid ice mass loss from mountain glaciers, contribute to geoid change rates of more than 2 centimeters per decade. This webinar presents research modeling geoid change in Alaska, past and present. This work combines satellite gravity data with airborne and satellite measurements of glacier elevation change to predict geoid rates with improved fidelity and spatial resolution. The wealth of existing geodetic and geophysical observations in Alaska also enables us to examine how the geoid has changed across the 20th century.

Technical Content Rating: Intermediate - Some prior knowledge of this topic is helpful.