geopotential unit

geopotential unit

[¦jē·ō·pə′ten·chəl ′yü·nət] (geophysics) A unit of gravitational potential used in describing the earth's gravitational field; it is equal to the difference in gravitational potential of two points separated by a distance of 1 meter when the gravitational field has a strength of 10 meters per second squared and is directed along the line joining the points. Abbreviated gpu.