Terms of Reference and Objectives

Acknowledging the success of the Arctic Gravity Project similar efforts have to be made to compile gravity data for the entire Antarctic. The availability of Antarctic gravity data should be improved by compiling already existing data and by carrying out new gravity observation campaigns. The main scientific goals are to fill in the southern polar gap and thus to improve the terrestrial gravity data coverage. A completed Antarctic gravity data set will substantially contribute to the determination of the global gravity field in combination with the new gravity satellites and will serve as an excellent basis for regional and continental geoid improvement. The Antarctic Geoid Project (AntGP) should be a focus group for geodesists and geophysicists interested in gravity and geoid in Antarctica.

Activities of the Project include the following:
- Initiating and facilitating the exchange of Antarctic gravity field data.
- Collecting and evaluating existing gravity data (surface, airborne and satellite) and GPS data on tide gauges to compute best possible gravity anomaly and geoid grids.
- Promoting new terrestrial and airborne gravity survey activities.
- Promoting new precise gravity ties to older and new traverses and airborne surveys.
- Promoting the measurement of reference gravity stations, especially using absolute gravity meters.
- Acting as liaison to similar data initiatives in solid-earth geophysics, especially SCAR.

This Commission Project reports to Sub-Commission 2.4