Uncertainty models of reference surfaces derived from multi-platform geodetic observations

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Practitioners of geodesy today, must be able to integrate geospatial/gravity data from numerous sources and platforms in order to provide a homogeneous description of the Earth’s surface. The fundamental link between the gravity field and physically meaningful heights is well established. The importance of reference surfaces and the vertical has surged due to the paradigm shift in geodesy that occurred with the launch of three dedicated gravity field satellite missions providing unprecedented spatial and temporal coverage of the Earth’s gravity field. This revolution has impacted applications in global science, engineering, surveying and mapping. In addition, the advancement of digital elevation model information and coverage from interferometric synthetic aperture radar, airborne laser scanning and terrestrial light detection and ranging systems has skyrocketed. Today, researchers in engineering and Earth Science are faced with the digital reality in which more technical data have been collected in the year 2012 than in all previous years, with the quantity of data expected to double every year. While the importance and difficulty of gathering and storing vast amounts of data must not be underestimated, if the data cannot be transformed into useable information, it is useless. The need for the development, implementation and validation of algorithms, tools, and techniques for uncertainty in geodetic data is immense. This research program is dedicated to training highly qualified personnel with a focus on the vertical component of “position” information which can take on many roles depending on the application and spatial extent of the problem. Understanding data quality and how to model and disseminate that information will become increasingly crucial as (i) applications demand higher geospatial accuracy and (ii) policy makers increasingly rely on qualified information (also demanded by the public). Another catalyst for this research includes the immense public safety concerns associated with environmental hazards (anthropogenic or natural in source) and the need to make informed decisions in near real-time. The provision of uncertainty estimates along with reference surfaces (ie., in the form of a map) will allow for improved interpretations that can save both resources and infrastructure. Canada is in fact at the forefront of many geoscience and geomatics related activities and a conscious effort to provide technically sound and high level uncertainty information for the vertical component is necessary in order to ensure that we remain on top.