Model-Based Hydrodynamic Leveling: An Impact Study on the European Vertical Reference Frame

Establishing an accurate global unified vertical reference frame (VRF) is a long-standing objective of geodesy. However, that objective has still not been achieved. One particular application where the lack of such a VRF is evident, is the improvement of hydrodynamic models by assimilating total water levels acquired by tide gauges. Indeed, to facilitate a straightforward assimilation requires that both the observed and modeled water levels refer to the same vertical datum. The required accuracy is high; it is expected to be in the order of 1centimeter. The best alternative VRF for the area of interest, the northwest European continental shelf, is the European Vertical Reference Frame 2019 (EVRF2019). The EVRF2019, however, still lacks complete coverage and the required accuracy. The key reason is that it is solely based on geopotential differences from spirit leveling/gravimetry, which are not available between benchmarks separated by large water bodies. This thesis exploits model-based hydrodynamic leveling to provide these differences. The specific objective is to assess the potential of including these data in realizing of European Vertical Reference System (EVRS).