Earth's Shape GEOID In the same way that lack of accurate observati ions delayed recognition of the earth’s nonsphericity, so it was not until the advent of artificial satellites and measurements from space that the standard of refinement of collected data would be sufficient to allow scientists to move confidently away from a biaxial figure of reference. Now an even more complicated figure may be the case (figure 16), one with a slight flattening in the northern middle latitudes and a bulge of similar dimensions in the southern middle latitudes. At the time of this discovery, some likened it to a pear shape, but there are those who vehemently oppose the use of such a description, Particularly because the deformation is so slight—only 20 m or so—in relation to the overall size. \The term most appropriate to the irregular earth surface is a geoid. It does not have a mathematical representation, but it is the equipotential surface at mean sea level, which means that at any point it is perpendicular to the direction of gravity. Since that can be affected by variations in the earth structure, the 8eoid, while a smooth surface, is undulatory. It is not a fully known surface and semiminor axes, Many have tried to represent the shape mathematically, Somewhere near requires a series with 18th-power terms. Th ping Agency developed a mathematical model with terms to the power 180 with 32 755, coefficients. The average (or even the above-average) user can with confidence usually find an alternative way around any problem that calls for Manipulating expressions of that magnitude, In 1993 a new geoid model, Geoid9! Hawaii, and the Virgin Island, Tests indic Ment on Geoid90, More such figures wi but even to get Defense Map- was introduced for Puerto Rico, ated that itwas a noticeable improve- Il no doubt follow,