Summary
The relations of the defining parameters of a geodetic system to the deflections of the vertical in this system given byVening Meinesz have been used in the computation of a best fitting ellipsoid. The data was that used byHayford in the computation of the resulting International Ellipsoid. Assuming the undulation (N 0) at Meades Ranch to be zero, the results are: a=6,378,194 m and l/f=299.9. This a is much nearer to modern values than that of the Internaitonal Ellipsoid. If a flattening of 1/298.24 is fixed andN 0=+3m,a=6,378,164 m which differs by one meter from a recent determination given byKaula.
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Vening Meinesz F. A.:Changes of deflections of the plumb-line brought about by a change of reference ellipsoid. Bull. Geod., N. S., No. 15 (1950).
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Rapp, R.H. A consideration of Hayford's best fitting ellipsoid data using the differential change equations of Vening Meinesz. Geofisica Pura e Applicata 54, 1–5 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01988250
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01988250