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Orthometric vs ellipsoidal height

This article explains the difference between orthometirc (geoid) height and ellipsoidal height.

The orthometric (geoid) height of a point of the Earth Surface is the distance Ho from the point to the geoid.

The ellipsoidal height of a point of the Earth Surface is the distance He from the point to the ellipsoid.

msl geoid ellipsoid 2
Ho He 2
Earth surface, ellipsoid and geoid
Orthometric height H o and ellipsoidal height H e

The geoid height above the ellipsoid (N) is the difference between the ellipsoidal height and orthometric (geoid) height.

N = He Ho

Where:

N = geoid height above the ellipsoid
He = ellipsoidal height
Ho = orthometric (geoid) height

More information on this topic can be found in the following articles:

When to use the Geoid Height Above the Ellipsoid function

How to define Pix4D outputs with respect to a geoid model