[G01-6] Regional reference frames and networks II

[G01-6-06] Precise leveling, tide gauge and satellite altimetry for definition of Saudi Arabia National Reference Frame (SANVRF) – Jeddah'2014

^○Rossen Grebenitcharsky¹, George Vergos², Othman Al-Kherayef¹, Bandar Al-Musulmani¹, Rene Forsberg³ (1.General Commission for Survey, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2.Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece, 3.Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark)

Historically, in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia several height reference systems have been developed and applied by different organizations. To unify the vertical reference frame of the Kingdom, the General Commission for Survey has developed and proposed for pre-definition a new national vertical reference frame (VRF) named Jeddah'2014. It is based on the new National Vertical Network (NVN), National Gravity Network (NGN), an analysis of 3.5 years of Tide Gauge Network data and an assimilation of all existing Satellite Altimetry (SA) data in the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf region.
A Wavelet Multi-resolution analysis (WMRA) of TG data residuals (after eliminating periodic tide effects) has been conducted for 11 TG stations in Red Sea and Arabian Gulf in order to determine the MSL, necessary for vertical datum definition of KSA. This analysis has been supported by almost 30 years of SA data and the most recent GOCE-based Global Geopotential Models (GGMs) for validation purposes. The final SANVRF has been defined following a Least-Squares Adjustments (LSA) of NVN geopotential numbers, assuming the height above Mean Sea Level (MSL) at Jeddah Tide Gauge Benchmark (JEDD-S) as fixed. With the high NVN leveling precision achieved the new KSA VRF will also form the base of the new precise KSA geoid model.
Details regarding the new SANVRF Jeddah'2014 are provided in this presentation, describing its conceptual and specific characteristics.