Development of a Local GPS-Levelling Geoid Model for the Gaza Strip Area

Abstract

Geoid model determination has an increased importance in most of the practical applications of geodesy in Palestine such as large-scale map production, GIS applications, and engineering surveying applications. A joint effort between the British Consulate in Jerusalem and a combined Palestine – Finland project was agreed in order to re-establish and improve the geodetic network in Palestine. A mission of a GPS survey team from Ordnance Survey International was funded by the British Consulate and conducted in the spring of 1999. Although vertical control is highly likely to be required to support engineering projects throughout Palestine, the new geodetic network that was established by the Palestine -Finland project does not meet this requirement. The stations that comprise the new geodetic network are three dimensional control points of known local horizontal coordinates but known ellipsoidal height rather than orthometric height. However, in order to obtain the necessary orthometric height for the points, a high quality geoid model is required. This research aims to develop a GPS-Leveling geoid model that provides a vertical control of the Gaza Strip area that is compatible with the use of GPS and to build up software to convert the GPS ellipsoidal heights to orthometric heights.