Friday, 31 August 2007 - 11:20 AM
5.A.A-3

Modelling recent airborne gravity data over the Antarctic Peninsula for regional geoid improvement

Mirko Scheinert1, Fausto Ferraccioli2, Jan Müller1, Tom Jordan2, and Reinhard Dietrich1. (1) Institut fuer Planetare Geodaesie, TU Dresden, Helmholtzstr. 10, Dresden, 01062, Germany, (2) Geological Sciences Division, British Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0ET, United Kingdom

There is a strong link between SCAR and IAG bodies in promoting long-term efforts to close the continental-wide data gaps that still remain in terrestrial gravity coverage over Antarctica. Airborne gravimetry provides the only feasible technique to survey large areas. A variety of aerogravity surveys have been accomplished, and several new ones are planned within the framework of the International Polar Year 2007/2008. In the Antarctic Peninsula region, the British Antarctic Survey has carried out a number of airborne and terrestrial gravity surveys. We have determined the regional geoid for Palmer Land, since a recent aerogeophysical survey provideshigh-quality and homogeneous gravity data. To improve the regional geoid  the Remove-Compute-Restore technique is applied, where long-wavelength information from a global satellite-derived gravity field model and short-wavelength information from topography are utilized. Our regional geoid improvement adds a threshold of about 5m to the global model and shows several new details.

[Manuscript]