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Geopotential height differs from geometric height (as given by a tape measure) because Earth's gravity is not constant, varying markedly with altitude and latitude; thus, a 1-m geopotential height difference implies a different vertical distance in physical space: "the unit-mass must be lifted higher at the equator than at the pole, if the same ...
For example, at a radius of 6600 km (about 200 km above Earth's surface) J 3 /(J 2 r) is about 0.002; i.e., the correction to the "J 2 force" from the "J 3 term" is in the order of 2 permille. The negative value of J 3 implies that for a point mass in Earth's equatorial plane the gravitational force is tilted slightly towards the south due to ...
Geopotential is the potential of the Earth's gravity field. For convenience it is often defined as the negative of the potential energy per unit mass , so that the gravity vector is obtained as the gradient of the geopotential, without the negation.
It allowed for a model with n=m=180 to be defined, providing a raster for every half degree (30', 30 minute) of latitude and longitude of the world. [4] NIMA also computed and made available 30′×30′ mean altimeter derived gravity anomalies from the GEOSAT Geodetic Mission. 15′×15′ is also available.
The term elevation is mainly used when referring to points on the Earth's surface, while altitude or geopotential height is used for points above the surface, such as an aircraft in flight or a spacecraft in orbit, and depth is used for points below the surface. Elevation histogram of the Earth's surface
[2] The equation that relates the two altitudes are (where z is the geometric altitude, h is the geopotential altitude, and r 0 = 6,356,766 m in this model): = Note that the Lapse Rates cited in the table are given as °C per kilometer of geopotential altitude, not geometric altitude.
Geodetic latitude and geocentric latitude have different definitions. Geodetic latitude is defined as the angle between the equatorial plane and the surface normal at a point on the ellipsoid, whereas geocentric latitude is defined as the angle between the equatorial plane and a radial line connecting the centre of the ellipsoid to a point on the surface (see figure).
The reverse conversion is harder: given X-Y-Z can immediately get longitude, but no closed formula for latitude and height exists. See "Geodetic system." Using Bowring's formula in 1976 Survey Review the first iteration gives latitude correct within 10-11 degree as long as the point is within 10,000 meters above or 5,000 meters below the ellipsoid.