Absolute gravity stations in Africa

Absolute gravity measurements are indispensable for providing accurate reference to gravity mapping for e.g. geoid computations. Repeated absolute measurements are an important tool in geodynamics and are capable of contributing to the monitoring and stabilization of the terrestrial reference frame. About 30 absolute gravity stations exist in Africa. Their geographical distribution is very uneven. In large parts of the continent, only IGSN71 or lower-order stations are available for gravity referencing. The existing absolute stations have mostly been measured for gravity mapping. In many cases their results are unpublished or classified. Very few stations have repeated observations. The poster provides an overview of the status of absolute gravimetry in Africa.