NAME: ADEDAPO ADENIKE ABIDEMI

MATRIC NO: ESM/2016/140

COURSE: GEODETIC SURVEYING (SVG 401)

DEPT: SURVEYING AND GEOINFORMATICS

ASSIGNMENT

Relationship, advantages and disadvantages between the three basic geodetic reference surfaces; the
geoid, the earth (physical or topographical surfaces) and the ellipsoid with diagram.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE THREE SURFACES

The diagrams below (figure 1 and figure 2) shows the relationship between these three surfaces;

Figure 1 & figure 2: SHOWS THE THREE GEODETIC SURFACES

a. They have direction of gravity in common.

b. Each is usually in error which are relative at some level of accuracy
c. Some of the earth surface measurement can be reduced directly either to ellipsoid or to geoid
before transformed back to ellipsoid, so the latter type of measurements (e.g. astronomical
observation, direction etc) required a good knowledge of relationship between the surfaces.
d. Two of the geodetic surfaces i.e. the geoid and the ellipsoidal surface are used to create
reference surfaces to describe the elevations of point above or below these surfaces, while
 other one i.e. topographical surface describes vertical separation between two surfaces called
geoid-ellipsoid separation.
e. They can also be mathematically related, especially geoid and ellipsoid surfaces by this
equation; h-H=N
Where h is the ellipsoidal height
H is the Orthometric height
N is the geoidal undulation.

ADVANTAGES OF EACH OF THE THREE GEODETIC SURFACES

The advantages of each of the surfaces is tabulated below;

GEOID TOPOGRAPIC ELLIPSOID
SURFACE
1. It can extends everywhere and 1. Determines 1. Great for tracking satellites
provides a common datum for all. accurately the and measuring heights
terrain points as called ellipsoidal heights.
well as geometrical
relationship.
2. Good in large areas for global 2. Characterized by 2. Used to define most of the
model and geoid undulation. hills and valleys. earth’s gravity field and
geospatial information.
3. The direction of gravity towards 3. Measures height for 3. It enables easy computation
the center of the earth is always aircraft above the because it has regular
perpendicular. ground. shaped mathematical
figure.
4. Zero reference for measuring 4. It controls friction 4. it is very precise by using
elevations or heights for maps and transfer layer GPS for fast, easy and
called Mean Sea Level heights. formation during convenient in order to
sliding. obtain ellipsoidal heights.
5. Gravity observations are fairly 5. Explain about geoid
easy. undulation or heights
 DISADVANTAGES

The disadvantages of each of the three surfaces is also tabulated below;

GEOID TOPOGRAPIC ELLIPSOID

SURFACE
1. Constant potential of real 1. No ideal reference 1. Direction of gravity does not
gravity field surface. point to the center of the
earth.
2. Unsuitable use as 2. It cannot be 2. It is constant along the datum
computational surface for represented by surface.
surveying and mapping mathematical
purposes relation.
3. Reduced amount of data and 3. It is very irregular 3. More complicated to
greater likehood of error in surface. implement
and near edges of mountains.
2. Affected by variance in 4. No mathematical 4. Inconsistency with gravity
density density, type and formular or reference field.
amount of land mass. equation for it.
5 Very difficult to observe and
not useful in smaller areas.