WHU-IOGM: Global 3-D Internal Oceanic Gravity Field Model

WHU-IOGM is a global three-dimensional internal oceanic gravity field model developed using the 'seawater layer' method and Newtonian integration. The model, created by Ganghua Ni, uses the WOA18 framework with a seabed-aligned grid to improve geometric fidelity and extends vertical resolution to 103 layers. It was last updated in May 2026 and provides a foundation for underwater gravity measurement and navigation.

Use Cases

• Calibrating underwater navigation systems based on the provided gravity field model.
• Improving bathymetric mapping accuracy based on the model's seabed-aligned grid and enhanced geometric fidelity.
• Conducting geodetic research on oceanic mass distribution based on the three-dimensional internal gravity field.
• Developing algorithms for gravity measurement based on the model's theoretically rigorous foundation.

Strengths

• Model has a reported global evaluation RMSE of 6.28 mGal and a mean error of 0.19 mGal.
• Extends vertical resolution to 103 layers, improving detail over previous models.
• Uses a seabed-aligned grid, which likely improves representation of real bathymetry.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Ganghua Ni via figshare.

Collection Method

Developed using the 'seawater layer' method, Newtonian integration, and a convergent ellipsoidal harmonic expansion algorithm within the WOA18 framework.

Time Range

Model creation date is implied as 2026; underlying WOA18 framework suggests 2018-era oceanographic data.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-01 07:48:01; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global coverage.