The effect of EGM2008-based normal, normal-orthometric and Helmert orthometric height systems.pdf

J Geod (2010) 84:501–513 DOI 10.1007/s00190-010-0388-0 ORIGINAL ARTICLE The effect of EGM2008-based normal, normal-orthometric and Helmert orthometric height systems on the Australian levelling network M. S. Filmer · W. E. Featherstone · M. Kuhn Received: 16 November 2009 / Accepted: 18 May 2010 / Published online: 11 June 2010 ? Springer-Verlag 2010 Abstract This paper investigates the normal-orthometric correction used in the definition of the Australian Height Datum, and also computes and evaluates normal andHelmert orthometric corrections for theAustralianNational Levelling Network (ANLN). Testing these corrections in Australia is important to establish which height system is most appropri- ate for any new Australian vertical datum. An approximate approach to assigning gravity values to ANLN benchmarks (BMs) is used, where the EGM2008-modelled gravity field is used to ‘re-construct’ observed gravity at the BMs. Net- work loop closures (for first- and second-order levelling) indicate reduced misclosures for all height corrections con- sidered, particularly in themountainous regions of south east- ern Australia. Differences between Helmert orthometric and normal-orthometric heights reach 44 cm in the Australian Alps, and differences between Helmert orthometric and nor- mal heights are about 26 cm in the same region. Normal- orthometric heights differ from normal heights by up to 18 cm in mountainous regions 2,000 m. This indicates that the quasigeoid is not compatible with normal-orthometric heights in Australia. Keywords Height systems · EGM2008 · Vertical datums · AHD M. S. Filmer (B) · W. E. Featherstone · M. Kuhn Western Australian Centre for Geodesy, The Institute for Geoscience Research, Curtin University of Technology, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia e-mail: M.Filmer@.au W. E. Featherstone e-mail: W.Featherstone@.au M. Kuhn e-mail: M.Kuhn@.au 1 Introduction The Australian Height Datum (AHD) is Australia’s first and only official height datum. On th