Physical geodesy

Introducing students to the theoretical and practical aspects of physical geodesy, the problems of boundary values of the theory of Earth's gravitational potential and mathematical models used in determining the reference geodetic surfaces.

The student should be able to: 1) describe and explain the influence of the Earth's gravitational field and its importance in modeling reference geodetic surfaces, 2) define and use different height systems, 3) model and apply datum transformation parameters, 4) model the gravitational influence of topographic masses of the Earth's crust, 5) understand the basics of Molodensky's theory, 6) creates and applies the collocation model in predicting / estimating the functionals of the anomalous potential of the Earth's gravitational field, etc.

Lectures. Introduction. Gravitational force. Gravitational potential. Spherically harmonics development of gravitational potential. Boundary value problems of the theory of gravitational potential. Laplace and Poisson differential equations. Earth's gravity. The potential of a Earth's gravity. The gravity of the so-called Normal Earth and normal potential. Spherically harmonics development of normal potential. Anomalous potential. Functionals of anomalous potential. The integral formulas of Stokes and Wenning-Meines. Reduction of the acceleration of the Earth's gravity. Molodensky's theory. Statistical methods in physical geodesy. Exercises. Height systems. Determining the potential of a body of regular geometric shape of uniform / homogeneous density. Coordinate transformation (natural, geodetic, geocentric, spherical). Reduction of the Earth's gravity acceleration. Determining the geoid undulation using the Stokes equation. Astrogeodetic determination of geoid.

1. Heiskanen Weiko, H. Moritz: Physical geodesy, Faculty of Civil engineering, University of Belgrade, 2000.

2. P. Vaniček, E. Krakivsky: Geodesy, the concepts, Serbian geodetic association, 2005.

3. H. Moritz: Advanced Phisical Geodesy, Karlsruhe, Wichmann; Tunbridge, Eng.: Abacus Press, 1980.

   (Original)

4. W. Torge: Geodesy, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin-New York, 2001.

   (Original)

5. Višnjić, I. R., Digital relief model - application in geoid determination by gravimetric method, master 's thesis, Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, 1999.

Class attendance
Activity in classes, Exercises
Colloquium 1
Colloquium 2

Classes are conducted through lectures. Lectures are accompanied by exercises of appropriate content.