Merging Two Regional Geoid Estimates by Using Optimal Variance Components of Type repro-BIQUUE: An Algorithmic Approach

When merging various datasets the perennial problem of relative weighting arises. In case of two datasets an iterative algorithm has been developed recently that allows the rigorous determination of optimal variance components of type repro-BIQUUE even for large amounts of data, along with the estimation of the joint parameters. Here we shall present this new algorithm, and show its versatility in an example that will entail the merging of two regional geoid estimates (derived from EGM 96 and CHAMP) in terms of certain series expansions which have been proven previously to belong to the most efficient ones (e.g., wavelets, Hardy's multi-quadrics, etc.). Future attempts will be devoted to the sequential merging of altimeter and tide gauge data.