Geophysics Gravity field of the Earth Concept
Geopotential
Summary
The geopotential is the potential of the Earth's gravity, as felt by a body that rotates with the Earth. It is the sum of the gravitational potential of the Earth's masses and the potential of the centrifugal force. Its gradient is the gravity vector, and its level surfaces are horizontal surfaces, such as the geoid. Differences of geopotential measure how much work is needed to lift a unit mass from one level to another.
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About this page
| Tag | 5Y2BWNY6MF |
|---|---|
| URI | m2://5Y2BWNY6MF |
| Kind | concept |
| Writing | W0 stub |
| MSC | 86A20, 86A30, 31B05 |
| Same as | |
| Changed | 3 November 2026 |
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Results about this
- Geodetic boundary value problem
- Clairaut's theorem on gravity
- Molodensky's problem
- Normal gravity and Somigliana's formula
Used by
- Geoid
- Gravity anomaly
- Physical geodesy
- Bruns formula
- Equilibrium theory of tides
- Clairaut's theorem on gravity
- Geopotential model in spherical harmonics
- Molodensky's problem
- Deflection of the vertical
- Normal gravity and Somigliana's formula