Spherical cap harmonic analysis: a comment on its proper use for local gravity field representation

Spherical cap harmonic analysis is the appropriate analytical technique for modelling Laplacian potential and the corresponding field components over a spherical cap. This paper describes the use of this method by means of a least-squares approach for local gravity field representation. Formulations for the geoid undulation and the components ξ, η of the deflection of the vertical are derived, together with some warnings in the application of the technique. Although most of the formulations have been given by another paper, these were confusing or even incorrect, mainly because of an improper application of the spherical cap harmonic analysis.