GEOPOTENTIAL VERSUS GEOMETRIC ALTITUDE FROM 0 TO 10,000 KILOMETERS FOR VARIOUS LATITUDES

Simple analytical relationships between geopotential H-psi and geometric altitude Z-psi for various latitudes psi are presented with the required constants for relating H-psi to Z, and Z-psi to H at each of eight latitudes 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 deg., and at the reference latitude R equal to 45 deg. 32 ft. 33 in. which latitude corresponds to the standard sea-level gravity, 9.80665 m/sq.sec. Values of HR(Z) were computed for geometric altitudes between 0 and 10,000 km: values of ZR(H) were computed for the equivalent range of geopotentials, between 0 and 3900 standard geopotential kilometers (km'). Computed values of Z-psi and H-psi for the other latitudes are presented as differences (Z-psi - ZR) and (H-psi - HR) as functions of both argument pairs HR(Z) and ZR(H) are compared with the corresponding values from the U.S. Standard Atmosphere HS(Z) and ZS(H). These comparisons show the difference (HS - HR) to be -33 meters at ZR = 700 km, while the difference (ZS - ZR) is shown to be 55 meters at the corresponding value of HR = 630 km'. (Author)