Rapid Prediction of Vertical Deflections and Their Statistics for Surveying and Mapping Applications: Three Case Studies

Abstract

The accurate determination of deflections of the vertical is a complex scientific task that can be time-consuming and expensive. On occasion, good approximations are required for surveying and engineering applications. Although deflections of the vertical derived from geoid models are available online in certain regions, the exact computation procedure is not detailed and they generally are given without accompanying uncertainties. This work provides a simple, straightforward way, using least squares, to determine deflections of the vertical at geoid heights and their corresponding stochastic quantities, all based on undulations of the EGM2008 geoid model selected around the computation point. Three case studies were discussed, and an ancillary sample program is attached for completeness.