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ETOPO1 Global
Relief Model
ETOPO1 includes ocean bottom topography and ice mass surfaces, i.e., it is
in between (1) and (2).
Earth's Mean Shape
The meaning of the terms "figure of the Earth" and "shape of the Earth"
depends on context, e.g.
(1) topography of the solid Earth;
(2) surface of solid Earth including oceans, terrestrial hydrosphere and
cryosphere.
(2) is the surface on which most geodetic in situ measurements are carried
out
Soffel (1989) describes four different phases related to the view of the Earth's
shape and dynamics and the main target of research (see Lecture 1).
Earth's Mean Shape
Four different phases of geodesy related to the view of the Earth's shape and
dynamics and the main targets of research.
B: From the middle of the 17th century to the middle of the 19th century: the
oblateness of a rotational ellipsoid; geometrical form resulting from
rotational dynamics.
C: From the middle of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century: the
geoid; gravitational field in addition to a purely geometrical form.
D: Since the middle of the 20th century: dynamics of the Earth's surface and
relativistic models of the Earth system; changes in the shape instead of mean
shape; dynamical instead of static view.
Earth's Mean Shape
B: From the middle of the 17th century to the middle of the 19th century: the
oblateness of a rotational ellipsoid; geometrical form resulting from
rotational dynamics.
Sea level
- adjusts to gravitation field, not geometry;
- it follows a equipotential surface of the gravitational potential, if
undisturbed by tides, winds, currents, ...
Currently, most accurate static geoid from the Gravity Recovery and Climate
Experiment (GRACE).
GRACE is particularly strong in measuring geoid variations at sub-monthly
time scales and down to 300 km spatial scales (see Lecture 4).
Significant improvements of static geoid expected from the Gravity field and
steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) .
Earth's Mean Shape
Significant improvements expected from the Gravity field and steady-state
Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE).
G. Peltzer, UCLA
Endogenic Processes
More on earthquakes; goal to give an impression of the changes in earth
shape ...
Endogenic Processes
Seismic Free Oscillations of the Earth deform the earth with periods from 53
minutes down to seconds and can last for several days.
http://icb.u-bourgogne.fr/Nano/MANAPI/saviot/terre/index.en.html
Endogenic Processes
Seismic Free Oscillations of the Earth deform the earth with periods from 53
minutes down to seconds
http://icb.u-bourgogne.fr/Nano/MANAPI/saviot/terre/index.en.html
Endogenic Processes
More on post-seismic deformations
Endogenic Processes
Subsurface processes associated
with volcanoes and magma
transport induce local to regional
changes in shape.
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- deforms the solid Earth,
- changes the gravity field (both due to the surface mass relocation and the
deformation of the solid Earth) and
- impacts Earth rotation.
Exogenic Processes
Response of solid Earth has an elastic (instantaneous) and viscous (delayed)
contribution.
Ice surfaces:
- Time-variable surface height and extent;
- large variations in mass balance;
- seasonal, interannual, decadal time scales;
- ice ages on time scales of 100 kyrs.
Land water storage:
- Time-variable surface water storage (e.g., floods, droughts), also including
significant anthropogenic changes;
- Time-variable subsurface water storage (includes also significant
anthropogenic changes)
Oceans, Cryosphere, and Terrestrial Hydrosphere
More details in subsequent lectures.