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

今天的大地测量学从业者必须能够整合来自许多来源和平台的地理空间/重力数据，以便提供对地球表面的同质描述。重力场和有物理意义的高度之间的基本联系已经建立得很好了。由于发射了三个专门的重力场卫星飞行任务，提供了前所未有的地球重力场的空间和时间覆盖，大地测量发生了范式转变，因此参考面和垂直面的重要性急剧上升。这场革命对全球科学、工程、测绘领域的应用产生了影响。此外，干涉合成孔径雷达、机载激光扫描和地面光探测和测距系统提供的数字高程模型信息和覆盖范围也大幅提高。今天，工程和地球科学的研究人员面临着数字现实，2012年收集的技术数据比前几年都多，预计数据量每年都会翻一番。虽然不能低估收集和存储海量数据的重要性和难度，但如果数据不能转化为有用的信息，它就毫无用处。对大地测量数据不确定性的算法、工具和技术的开发、实施和验证的需求是巨大的。这项研究计划致力于培训高素质的人员，重点放在“职位”信息的垂直部分，根据问题的应用和空间范围，这些信息可以发挥多种作用。了解数据质量以及如何模拟和传播这些信息将变得越来越重要，因为(1)应用程序要求更高的地理空间精度；(2)决策者越来越依赖合格的信息(公众也有此要求)。这项研究的另一个催化剂包括与环境危害(人为的或自然的)相关的巨大公共安全问题，以及近乎实时做出知情决定的需要。提供不确定度估计和参考面(即以地图的形式)将有助于改进解释，从而节省资源和基础设施。事实上，加拿大走在了许多与地球科学和地球测量有关的活动的前列，有必要有意识地努力为垂直部分提供技术上可靠和高度不确定的信息，以确保我们保持领先地位。

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.