What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to explore the concept of time dilation through river velocity and how it compares to GPS measurements.

February 21, 2026Open Access

River Velocity as Time Dilation: A Numerical Comparison Against GPS Data

Key Points

This research aims to explore the concept of time dilation through river velocity and how it compares to GPS measurements.
Utilized Einstein's general relativity equation for time dilation analysis.
Used GPS data as a reference or ground truth for comparison.
Substituted escape velocity ratio for assessing time dilation in the river context.
Calculated time dilation for both GPS and river velocity based equations.
Established a numerical comparison between time dilation equations.
Demonstrated the validity of using river velocity as a candidate for measuring time dilation.
Found that river velocity can substitute for GPS in discussions of time dilation.

Abstract

River Velocity as Time Dilation: A Numerical Comparison Against GPS Data Christopher Jack Wayne Riner. Independent Researcher. No Affiliations. Abstract Einstein's general relativity equation: gμν = diag(−(1−rₛ/r), (1−rₛ/r)⁻¹, r², r²sin²θ), has been used to measure time dilation for countless applications, including Global Positioning Systems for navigation. While we use GPS every day, there are many questions that still remain. What is time? Why does it dilate? This paper is the start of an investigative journey to answer those very questions. Every investigator's first step is to identify all the indicators. We take known good GPS data as ground truth. Then we find a candidate for substitution. In this case we will use β = √(rₛ/r), the ratio of escape velocity to the speed of light. We then replace (1−rₛ/r) · t̂ with β = √(rₛ/r). Next, we will calculate time dilation for both equations and compare the results.

River Velocity as Time Dilation: A Numerical Comparison Against GPS Data

Key Points

Abstract

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