Not round, not an ellipse: NASA’s gravity-based model reveals Earth’s true geoid shape

Scientists and researchers navigating geodetic models stand to gain the most from these updated gravity maps, which provide a more precise understanding of the planet's surface variations. Accurate modeling relies on these complex calculations to interpret how mass is distributed across the globe.

NASA has released gravity-based models detailing the Earth’s geoid, confirming it is neither a perfect sphere nor a traditional ellipse. Instead, gravity distributions create an irregular, "lumpy" shape often referred to as a "potato earth." According to coverage from Diario AS and upday News, the geoid varies by 191 meters across different regions, illustrating how gravitational pull fluctuates based on subsurface density and topographical features.

ScienceABC and Noticias Ambientales note that these findings stem from space missions designed to map gravitational anomalies. While the visual representation of the planet is being updated in academic discourse, coverage does not yet specify how these irregularities might influence future orbital mechanics or satellite navigation standards.