Benha University

Mahmoud Magdy Mohamed Fouad Abulkhair

Asst. Lecturer

Faculty of Engineering, Benha Civil Engineering

Optimizing shipborne gravity data around Egypt for enhanced geomatics applications

The Egyptian Journal of Remote Sensing and Space Sciences • 2026
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Publication Information
Authors Mahmoud Abulkhair; Ahmed Zaki; Ahmed Elhadary; Basem Elsaka; Mostafa Rabah
Keywords Marine gravity; Crossover adjustment; Satellite altimetry; Egypt
Journal The Egyptian Journal of Remote Sensing and Space Sciences
Publisher Elsevier
Volume 29
Issue 1
Pages 104-119
publication.type International
Paper Link Open Link
Supplementary Materials Not Available
Abstract
This study presents a comprehensive crossover adjustment of shipborne gravity measurements around Egypt. The
dataset, from 17 marine surveys, displayed inconsistencies attributable to differences in data collecting sources,
instruments, and processing techniques. To validate and enhance data quality, a systematic adjustment was
carried out using the x2sys package from GMT based on least-squares estimation. Three adjustment approaches
were executed and assessed: institution-based, equal-weight, and weighted analyses. The institution-based
approach categorized ship surveys according to data source to overcome some of the inconsistency, and the
crossover analysis was applied to each group separately. This technique yielded inadequate improvements owing
to a minimal number and/or an uneven distribution of COs. To overcome this flaw, an equal-weight approach
was implemented for all surveys, supposing identical observational conditions and accuracy. This procedure
showed better performance, especially when incorporating both internal and external COEs. However, the
weighted adjustment, which accounted for track-specific accuracy, yielded the most significant improvement,
achieving an optimal agreement of 5.10 mGal after adjustment. Additionally, a conditional analysis eliminating
COEs beyond ±50 mGal led to further refinement, decreasing the discrepancies at intersections to 4.62 mGal
with a 9.41% gain in internal agreement. Validation against altimetric gravity models and GGMs clarified
improvement in external alignment, with residual SD reductions of up to 15.99% and 16.63% corresponding to
external COs and all COs adjustment, respectively. The optimized shipborne gravity data consequently supports a
wide range of geomatics applications, including precise marine geoid modeling and better determination of
dynamic ocean topography and ocean circulation.
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