Abstract
The GRACE satellites deliver high quality GPS code and phase, inter-satellite range and range-rate, non-gravitational acceleration, and star camera observations that can be used to estimate the static and time variable gravity field of the Earth with unprecedented accuracy. Nevertheless, the baseline accuracy that was determined in a pre-launch simulation study could not yet be reached. To find out possible reasons and to give recommendations for an improved data processing, another simulation study using the software, standards and processing strategy actually applied at GFZ in the routine processing of GRACE data is performed. The results point to inaccuracies in present ocean tide models. Additionally, it was found that the accelerometer noise cannot be absorbed sufficiently by the instrument parameters estimated so far and a shortening of the arcs seems to be necessary. Finally, an observed bias in the C20-coefficient of the GRACE gravity field models could be related to a GPS antenna phase centre bias in along-track direction.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Berger C, Biancale R, Ill M, Barlier F (1998) Improvement of the empirical thermospheric model DTM: DTM-94- comparative review on various temporal variations and prospects in space geodesy applications. J. Geod. 72, 161–178.
Bode A, Biancale R (2006) Mean annual and seasonal atmospheric tide models based on 3-hourly and 6-hourly ECMWF surface pressure data. Scientific Technical Report STR06/01, GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam, Potsdam.
Ferrari J, Bills BG (1977) A harmonic analysis of lunar topography. Icarus 31(2), 244–259.
Flechtner F (2007) AOD1B Product description document for product releases 01 to 04, GRACE Project Document, JPL 327–750, rev. 3.1, JPL Pasadena, Ca.
Flechtner F, Schmidt R, Meyer U (2006) De-aliasing of short-term atmospheric and oceanic mass variations for GRACE. In: Flury J, Rummel R, Reigber C, Rothacher M, Boedecker G, Schreiber U (eds.), Observation of the Earth System from Space, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg.
Flechtner F, Dahle CH, Neumayer KH, König R, Förste CH (2009) The release 04 CHAMP and GRACE EIGEN gravity field models. In: Flechtner F, Gruber T, Güntner A, Mandea M, Rothacher M, Schöne T, Wickert J (eds.), Satellite Geodesy and Earth System Science, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg.
Förste C, Flechtner F, Schmidt R, Meyer U, Stubenvoll R, Barthelmes F, König R, Neumayer KH, Rothacher M, Reigber Ch, et al. (2005) A New High Resolution Global Gravity Field Model Derived from Combination of GRACE and CHAMP Mission and Altimetry/Gravimetry Surface Gravity Data. http://www-app2.gfz-potsdam.de/pb1/op/grace/results
Frommknecht B (2007) Integrated Sensor Analysis of the GRACE Mission. Institute for Astronomical and Physical Geodesy, Technical University Munich, Germany.
Gunter B, Ries J, Bettadpur S, Tapley B (2006) A simulation study of the errors of omission and commission for GRACE RL01 gravity fields. J. Geod. 80, 341–351.
Ilk KH, Flury J, Rummel R, Schwintzer P, Bosch W, Haas C, Schröter J, Stammer D, Zahel W, Miller H, et al. (2005) Mass Transport and Mass Distribution in the Earth System – Contribution of the New Generation of Satellite Gravity and Altimetry Missions to Geosciences, 2nd ed., Proposal for a German Priority Research Program, GOCE Project Office Germany, Technical University Munich, GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam.
Kim J (2000) Simulation Study of a Low-Low Satellite-to-Satellite Tracking Mission. University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX.
Klokčoník J, Wagner CA, Kostelecký J, Bezdek A, Novák P, McAdoo D (2008) Variations in the accuracy of gravity recovery due to ground track variability: GRACE, CHAMP, and GOCE. J. Geod., doi: 10.1007/s00190-008-0222-0.
Knocke PC, Ries JC, Tapley BD (1988) Earth radiation pressure effects on satellites. AIAA-88-4992-CP. In: Proc. of the AIAA/AAS Astrodynamics Conference (1988), pp. 577–586.
Lyard F, Lefevre F, Letellier T, Francis O (2006) Modelling the global ocean tides: Modern insights from FES2004. Ocean Dyn. 56, 394–415.
Savcenko R, Bosch W (2008) EOT08a – Empirical Ocean Tide Model from Multi-Mission Satellite Altimetry. Deutsches Geodätisches Forschungsinstitut, München.
Schmidt R (2007) Zur Bestimmung des cm-Geoids und dessen zeitlicher Variationen mit GRACE. GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam, Potsdam
Tapley B, Bettadpur S, Watkins M, Reigber C (2004) The gravity recovery and climate experiment: Mission overview and early results. Geophys. Res. Lett. 31, L09607.
Tapley B, Ries J, Bettadpur S, Chambers D, Cheng M, Condi F, Gunter B, Kang Z, Nagel P, Pastor R, et al. (2005) GGM02 – An improved earth gravity field model from GRACE. J. Geod. 79, 467–478.
Thomas J (1999) An Analysis of the Gravity Field Estimation Based on Dual-1-Way Intersatellite Biased Ranging. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA.
Thomas M, Sündermann J, Maier-Reimer E (2001) Consideration of ocean tides in an OGCM and impacts on subseasonal to decadal polar motion excitation. Geophys. Res. Lett. 12, 2457.
Acknowledgment
This is publication no. GEOTECH-1269 of the GEOTECHNOLOGIEN programme of BMBF, grant 03F0423A.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Meyer, U., Frommknecht, B., Flechtner, F. (2010). Global Gravity Fields from Simulated Level-1 GRACE Data. In: Flechtner, F., et al. System Earth via Geodetic-Geophysical Space Techniques. Advanced Technologies in Earth Sciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-10228-8_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-10228-8_12
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-10227-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-10228-8
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)