Abstract
The geopotential value of W 0 = (62 636 855.611 ± 0.008) m 2 s −2 which specifies the equipotential surface fitting the mean ocean surface best, was obtained from four years (1993 - 1996) of TOPEX/POSEIDON altimeter data (AVISO, 1995). The altimeter calibration error limits the actual accuracy of W 0 to about (0.2 - 0.5) m 2 s −2 (2 - 5) cm. The same accuracy limits also apply to the corresponding semimajor axis of the mean Earth's level ellipsoid a = 6 378 136.72 m (mean tide system), a = 6 378 136.62 m (zero tide system), a = 6 378 136.59 m (tide-free). The variations in the yearly mean values of the geopotential did not exceed ±0.025 m 2 s −2 (±2.5 mm).
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Burša, M., Kouba, J., Raděj, K. et al. Mean Earth'S Equipotential Surface From Topex/Poseidon Altimetry. Studia Geophysica et Geodaetica 42, 459–466 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023356803773
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023356803773