The development and evaluation of the Earth Gravitational Model 2008 (EGM2008)
Abstract
EGM2008 is a spherical harmonic model of the Earth's gravitational potential, developed by a least squares combination of the ITG‐GRACE03S gravitational model and its associated error covariance matrix, with the gravitational information obtained from a global set of area‐mean free‐air gravity anomalies defined on a 5 arc‐minute equiangular grid. This grid was formed by merging terrestrial, altimetry‐derived, and airborne gravity data. Over areas where only lower resolution gravity data were available, their spectral content was supplemented with gravitational information implied by the topography. EGM2008 is complete to degree and order 2159, and contains additional coefficients up to degree 2190 and order 2159. Over areas covered with high quality gravity data, the discrepancies between EGM2008 geoid undulations and independent GPS/Leveling values are on the order of ±5 to ±10 cm. EGM2008 vertical deflections over USA and Australia are within ±1.1 to ±1.3 arc‐seconds of independent astrogeodetic values. These results indicate that EGM2008 performs comparably with contemporary detailed regional geoid models. EGM2008 performs equally well with other GRACE‐based gravitational models in orbit computations. Over EGM96, EGM2008 represents improvement by a factor of six in resolution, and by factors of three to six in accuracy, depending on gravitational quantity and geographic area. EGM2008 represents a milestone and a new paradigm in global gravity field modeling, by demonstrating for the first time ever, that given accurate and detailed gravimetric data, a single global model may satisfy the requirements of a very wide range of applications.
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The EGM2008 model has a relatively high resolution of 5 by 5 but its average accuracy is only about 10 to 20 cm.
“On the contrary, although the EGM2008 model has a relatively high resolution of 5 × 5 , its average accuracy is only about 10 to 20 cm [12].”
From Unification of a Global Height System at the Centimeter-Level Using Precise Clock Frequency Signal Links (2023) · cites this paper as [12]
The accuracy of EGM2008 is about 10 to 20 cm at the ground and better than 1 cm at the GNSS satellite altitude.
“These gravitational potentials are regarded as true values, because we do not consider the errors caused by EGM2008 (the accuracy of EGM2008 is about 10-20 cm at the ground and better than 1 cm at the GNSS satellite altitude).”
From Unification of a Global Height System at the Centimeter-Level Using Precise Clock Frequency Signal Links (2023) · cites this paper as [12]
For the ultra-high-degree geopotential model EGM2008, complete up to degree and order 2159, the omission error is 0.023 m, while the commission error is about 5-20 cm depending on region and data quality.
“For the ultra-high-degree geopotential model EGM2008 (Pavlis et al. 2012), which combines satellite and terrestrial data and is complete up to degree and order 2159, the omission error is 0.023 m, while the commission error is about 5-20 cm, depending on the region and the corresponding data quality.”
From Geodetic methods to determine the relativistic redshift at the level of 10 $$^{-18}$$ - 18 in the context of international timescales: a review and practical results (2018) · cites this paper as Pavlis et al. 2012
For EGM2008, omission error is 0.023 m, while commission error is about 5 to 20 cm depending on region and data quality.
“For the ultra-high degree geopotential model EGM2008 [144], which combines satellite and terrestrial data and is complete up to degree and order 2159, the omission error is 0 . 023 m, while the commission error is about 5 to 20 cm, depending on the region and the corresponding data quality.”
From Chronometric Geodesy: Methods and Applications (2019) · cites this paper as [144]
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“velengths is still quite signicant with values at the level of several decimetres, e.g., 0:94m for n= 90, 0:42m for n= 200, and 0:23m for n= 360. For the ultra-high degree geopotential model EGM2008 [144], which combines satellite and terrestrial data and is complete up to degree and order 2159, the omission error is…”
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- Authors
- Pavlis, N. K., Holmes, S. A., Kenyon, S. C., & Factor, J. K.
- Affiliations
- National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (US)
- Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies (United States) (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth
- Publisher
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)
- Published
- 2012-04
- Volume
- 117
- Issue
- B4
- ISSN
- 0148-0227 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2053987409
- Semantic Scholar
- f84527282d1131cbc57bb2f22bbcd24e59fa0fd9
- Cited by
- 2,641
- References
- 55
- Citations by year
- 2026: 178 · 2025: 216 · 2024: 220 · 2023: 239 · 2022: 203 · 2021: 266 · 2020: 218 · 2019: 161 · 2018: 150 · 2017: 172 · 2016: 146 · 2015: 176 · 2014: 148 · 2013: 112 · 2012: 35
- FWCI
- 111.26
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres (publishedVersion)
- Publication Database GFZ (GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Geophysics and Gravity Measurements
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Aerospace Engineering › GNSS positioning and interference
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Ocean Engineering › Geophysics and Sensor Technology
- Keywords
- Earth's gravitational potential, spherical harmonic gravity model, GRACE satellite gravimetry, free-air gravity anomalies, geoid undulation, vertical deflection, GPS leveling
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