T. Schöne

Gravity determination in ice covered regions by altimetry

Gravity field determination in ice covered regions of the polar marine areas is possible by using remote sensing techniques, such as satellite altimetry. An approach using standard altimetry products (ocean products, OPR) was developed and successfully applied in the Weddell Sea region, Antarctica. Comparisons to marine gravity data clearly demonstrate good agreement between both data sets.

The SCAR GPS Campaigns: Accurate Geodetic Reference in Antarctica

During the XXIII Meeting of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) held in Rome in 1994 the Working Group on Geodesy and Geographic Information (SCAR WG-GGI) established a working program for the next two years. It was decided that SCAR Epoch GPS Campaigns should be organized as a continuation of former Epoch Campaigns.

Applied marine geodetic research in polar regions

At the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, several geodetic methods are used to map the seafloor in polar regions. Multibeam bathymetric surveys are regularly conducted in polar regions by the institutes icebreaker Polarstern. These multibeam data are combined with bathymetric data from other sources to create bathymetric maps. The Hydrosweep multibeam system on the Polarstern is presently being modified to have a wider survey swath and the ability to collect sidescan and backscatter data. These modifications will enable researchers to survey the seafloor more efficiently and will provide important information about the seafloor materials. Satellite altimetry data is also used to supply the correlation between the earths geopotential field and the seafloor topography. This correlation can be used to guide bathymetric contouring in areas with little or no bathymetric data. Current efforts involve the study of ERS‐1 altimetry data from the Weddell Sea, Antarctica, where the altimetry d...