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First GOCE gravity field models derived by three different approaches

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Abstract

Three gravity field models, parameterized in terms of spherical harmonic coefficients, have been computed from 71 days of GOCE (Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer) orbit and gradiometer data by applying independent gravity field processing methods. These gravity models are one major output of the European Space Agency (ESA) project GOCE High-level Processing Facility (HPF). The processing philosophies and architectures of these three complementary methods are presented and discussed, emphasizing the specific features of the three approaches. The resulting GOCE gravity field models, representing the first models containing the novel measurement type of gravity gradiometry ever computed, are analysed and assessed in detail. Together with the coefficient estimates, full variance-covariance matrices provide error information about the coefficient solutions. A comparison with state-of-the-art GRACE and combined gravity field models reveals the additional contribution of GOCE based on only 71 days of data. Compared with combined gravity field models, large deviations appear in regions where the terrestrial gravity data are known to be of low accuracy. The GOCE performance, assessed against the GRACE-only model ITG-Grace2010s, becomes superior at degree 150, and beyond. GOCE provides significant additional information of the global Earth gravity field, with an accuracy of the 2-month GOCE gravity field models of 10 cm in terms of geoid heights, and 3 mGal in terms of gravity anomalies, globally at a resolution of 100 km (degree/order 200).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Astronomical and Physical Geodesy, TU München, Arcisstraße 21, 80333, Munich, Germany

    Roland Pail & Thomas Fecher

  2. Department of Terrestrial and Planetary Geodesy, CNES-DCT/SI/GS, 18, avenue E. Belin, 31401, Toulouse Cedex 9, France

    Sean Bruinsma

  3. Politecnico di Milano, DIIAR-Sez. Rilevamento, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Federica Migliaccio & Mirko Reguzzoni

  4. Department 1: Geodesy and Remote Sensing, Section 1.2: Global Geomonitoring and Gravity Field, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Telegrafenberg A17, 14473, Potsdam, Germany

    Christoph Förste & Oleg Abrikosov

  5. Institute of Theoretical Geodesy and Satellite Geodesy, Graz University of Technology, Steyrergasse 30, 8010, Graz, Austria

    Helmut Goiginger & Reinhard Mayrhofer

  6. Institute of Geodesy and Geoinformation, University of Bonn, Nussallee 17, 53115, Bonn, Germany

    Wolf-Dieter Schuh, Jan Martin Brockmann & Ina Krasbutter

  7. Department of Satellite Geodesy, Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Schmiedlstraße 6, 8042, Graz, Austria

    Eduard Höck

  8. Münchner Str. 20, c/o DLR Oberpfaffenhofen, 82234, Wessling, Germany

    Oleg Abrikosov

  9. Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Juliane Maries Vej 30, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Martin Veicherts & Carl Christian Tscherning

  10. Politecnico di Milano, Polo Regionale di Como, via Valleggio 11, 22100, Como, Italy

    Fernando Sansò

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  1. Roland Pail
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Pail, R., Bruinsma, S., Migliaccio, F. et al. First GOCE gravity field models derived by three different approaches. J Geod 85, 819–843 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-011-0467-x

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