Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Sub-daily alias and draconitic errors in the IGS orbits

  • Original Article
  • Published:
GPS Solutions Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Harmonic signals with a fundamental period near the GPS draconitic year (351.2 days) and overtones up to at least the sixth multiple have been observed in the power spectra of nearly all products of the International GNSS Service (IGS), including station position time series, apparent geocenter motions, orbit jumps between successive days, and midnight discontinuities in earth orientation parameter (EOP) rates. Two main mechanisms have been suggested for the harmonics: mismodeling of orbit dynamics and aliasing of near-sidereal local station multipath effects. Others have studied the propagation of local multipath errors into draconitic position variations, but orbit-related processes have been less examined. We elaborate our earlier analysis of GPS day-boundary orbit discontinuities where we observed some draconitic features as well as prominent spectral bands near 29-, 14-, 9-, and 7-day periods. Finer structures within the sub-seasonal bands fall close to the expected alias frequencies for 24-h sampling of sub-daily EOP tide lines but do not coincide precisely. While once-per-revolution empirical orbit parameters should strongly absorb any sub-daily EOP tide errors due to near-resonance of their respective periods, the observed differences require explanation. This has been done by simulating EOP tidal errors and checking their impact on a long series of estimated daily GPS orbits and EOPs. Indeed, simulated tidal aliases are found to be very similar to the observed IGS orbital features in the sub-seasonal bands. Moreover and unexpectedly, some low draconitic harmonics were also produced, potentially a source for the widespread errors in most IGS products. The results from this study are further evidence for the need of an improved sub-daily EOP tide model.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. As a shorthand, note that the term “sub-daily” is used here to include the complete diurnal and semidiurnal ocean tidal bands even though the longest individual tidal periods are several hours longer than a day.

References

  • Agnew D, Larson K (2007) Finding the repeat times of the GPS constellation. GPS Solut 11:1. doi:10.1007/s10291-006-0038-4

    Google Scholar 

  • Altamimi Z, Collilieux X, Legrand J, Garayt B, Boucher C (2007) ITRF2005: a new release of the international terrestrial reference frame based on time series of station positions and Earth Orientation Parameters. J Geophys Res 112. doi:10.1029/2007JB004949

  • Amiri-Simkooei AR, Tiberius CCJM, Teunissen PJG (2007) Assessment of noise in GPS coordinate time series: methodology and results. J Geophys Res 112. doi:10.1029/2006JB004913

  • Artz T, Böckmann S, Nothnagel A, and Steigenberger P (2010) Subdiurnal variations in the earth’s rotation from continuous Very Long Baseline Interferometry campaigns. J Geophys Res 115. doi:10.1029/2009JB006834

  • Artz T, Böckmann S, Nothnagel A (2011) Assessment of periodic sub-diurnal earth rotation variations at tidal frequencies through transformation of VLBI normal equation systems. J Geod 85(9):565–584. doi:10.1007/s00190-011-0457-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Artz T, Bernhard L, Nothnagel A, Steigenberger P, Tesmer S (2012) Methodology for the combination of sub-daily earth rotation from GPS and VLBI observations. J Geod 86:221–239. doi:10.1007/s00190-011-0512-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bendat JS, Piersol AG (1986) Random data, 2nd revised edn. Wiley, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Beutler G, Brockmann E, Gurtner W, Hugentobler U, Mervart L, Rothacher M (1994) Extended orbit modeling techniques at the CODE Processing Center of the international GPS service for geodynamics (IGS): theory and initial results. Manuscr Geod 19:367–386

    Google Scholar 

  • Collilieux X, Altamimi Z, Coulot D, Ray J, Sillard P (2007) Comparison of very long baseline interferometry, GPS, and satellite laser ranging height residuals from ITRF2005 using spectral and correlation methods. J Geophys Res 112. doi:10.1029/2007JB004933

  • Englich S, Heinkelmann R, Schuh H (2008) Re-assessment of ocean tidal terms in high-frequency earth rotation variations observed by VLBI. In: Finkelstein A, Behrend D (eds) Proceedings of the fifth IVS general meeting “measuring the future”, 3–6 March 2008, St. Petersburg, Nauka, pp 314–318. ftp://ivscc.gsfc.nasa.gov/pub/general-meeting/2008/pdf/englich.pdf

  • Gendt G, Griffiths J, Nischan T, Ray J (2010) IGS reprocessing—summary of orbit/clock combination and first quality assessment. Presentation at IGS 2010 Workshop, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK (available electronically at http://acc.igs.org/repro1/repro1_IGSW10.pdf)

  • Gipson JM (1996) Very long baseline interferometry determination of neglected tidal terms in high-frequency earth orientation variation. J Geophys Res 101(B12):28051–28064. doi:10.1029/96JB02292

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gipson JM, Ray RD (2009) A new model of tidal EOP variations from VLBI data spanning 30 years. In: EGU General Assembly 2009, 19–24 April 2009, Vienna, vol 11, p 13096. http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2009/EGU2009-13096.pdf

  • Griffiths J (2009a) IGS reprocessed GPS satellite orbits: preliminary results for period 2005–2007. Unpublished (available electronically at http://acc.igs.org/orb-repro1_old.html)

  • Griffiths J (2009b) IGS reprocessed GPS satellite orbits: preliminary results for 3 equal periods from Aug 1999 to Dec 2007. Unpublished (available electronically at http://acc.igs.org/orb-repro1.html)

  • Griffiths J, Ray J (2009) On the precision and accuracy of IGS orbits. J Geod 83:277–287. doi:10.1007/s00190-008-0237-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths J, Gendt G, Nischan T, Ray J (2009) Assessment of the orbits from the 1st IGS reprocessing campaign. Eos Trans. AGU, 90(52), Fall Meet. Suppl. Abstract G13A-04

  • Hilla S (2010) The extended Standard Product 3 orbit format (SP3-c). Unpublished (available electronically at http://igscb.jpl.nasa.gov/igscb/data/format/sp3c.txt)

  • Hugentobler U, van der Marel H, Springer T (2006) Identification and mitigation of GNSS errors. Presentation at IGS 2006 workshop, Darmstadt (available electronically at http://nng.esoc.esa.de/ws2006/ERRO1.pdf)

  • King MA, and Watson CS (2010), Long GPS coordinate time series: multipath and geometry effects, J. Geophys. Res 115. doi:10.1029/2009JB006543

  • Kouba J (2003) Testing of the IERS2000 sub-daily earth rotation parameter model. Unpublished (available electronically at http://acc.igs.org/erp/sdeop-kouba_2003.pdf)

  • Kouba J (2009) A guide to using International GNSS Service (IGS) products. Unpublished (available electronically at http://igscb.jpl.nasa.gov/igscb/resource/pubs/UsingIGSProductsVer21.pdf)

  • McCarthy DD (1996) IERS Conventions. IERS Technical Note 21. Observatoire de Paris, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • McCarthy DD, Petit G (2004) IERS Conventions 2003. IERS Technical Note 32. Verlag des Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Google Scholar 

  • Penna NT, Stewart AB (2003) Aliased tidal signatures in continuous GPS height time series. Geophys Res Lett 30(23):2184. doi:10.1029/2003GL018828

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petit G, Luzum B (2010) IERS Conventions. IERS Technical Note 36, Verlag des Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

  • Petrov L (2007) The empirical earth rotation model from VLBI observations. Astron Astrophys 467(1):359–369. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20065091

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ray J (2006) Systematic errors in GPS position estimates. Presentation at IGS 2006 Workshop, Darmstadt (available electronically at http://nng.esoc.esa.de/ws2006/ERRO6.pdf)

  • Ray RD (2010) personal communication

  • Ray J, Griffiths J (2009) Preliminary analysis of IGS reprocessed orbit and polar motion estimates. Geophys Res Abstr 11:EGU2009-5037-1. EGU General Assembly 2009

    Google Scholar 

  • Ray J, Griffiths J (2011) Status of IGS orbit modeling and areas for improvement. Geophys Res Abstr 13: EGU2011-3774. EGU General Assembly 2011

  • Ray J, McCarthy D (1996) GPS earth orientation combinations and results: Session summaries and recommendations. In: Neilan R, Van Scoy PA, Zumberge JF (eds) 1996 IGS analysis center workshop proceedings, March 19–21, 1996, available in three parts at http://igscb.jpl.nasa.gov/overview/pubs.html

  • Ray RD, Steinberg DJ, Chao BF, Cartwright DE (1994) Diurnal and semidiurnal variations in the earth’s rotation rate induced by oceanic tides. Science 264:830–832

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ray J, Altamimi Z, Collilieux X, van Dam T (2008) Anomalous harmonics in the spectra of GPS position estimates. GPS Solut 12:55–64. doi:10.1007/s10291-007-0067-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez-Solano CJ, Hugentobler U, Steigenberger P, Lutz S (2011) Impact of earth radiation pressure on GPS position estimates. J Geod doi. doi:10.1007/s00190-011-0517-4

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez-Solano CJ, Hugentobler U, Steigenberger P (2012a) Adjustable box-wing model for solar radiation pressure impacting GPS satellites. Adv Space Res 49(7):1113–1128. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2012.01.016

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez-Solano CJ, Hugentobler U, Steigenberger P, Fritsche M (2012b) Impact of solar radiation pressure modeling on GNSS-derived geocenter motion. Geophys Res Abstr 14:EGU2012-13929. EGU General Assembly 2012

    Google Scholar 

  • Rothacher M, Beutler G, Herring TA, Weber R (1999) Estimation of nutation using the Global Positioning System. J Geophys Res 104(B3):4835–4860. doi:10.1029/1998JB900078

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rothacher M, Beutler G, Weber R, Hefty J (2001) High-frequency variations in earth rotation from Global Positioning System data. J Geophys Res 106(B7):13711–13738. doi:10.1029/2000JB900393

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Santamaría-Gómez A, Bouin M-N, Collilieux X, Wöppelmann G (2011) Correlated errors in GPS position time series: implications for velocity estimates. J Geophys Res 116. doi:10.1029/2010JB007701

  • Springer TA (1999) Modeling and validating orbits and clocks using the Global Positioning System. Dissertation, University of Bern, Switzerland

  • Steigenberger P (2009) Reprocessing of a global GPS network. PhD thesis, Technische Universität München, Deutsche Geodätische Kommission Bayer. Akad.Wiss. München, ReiheC, vol 640. ISBN 978-3-7696-5052-5. (available electronically at http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:91-diss-20090706-685836-1-3)

  • Steigenberger P, Rothacher M, Dietrich R, Fritsche M, Rülke A, Vey S (2006) Reprocessing of a global GPS network. J Geophys Res 111:B05402. doi:10.1029/2005JB003747

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thaller D, Krügel M, Rothacher M, Tesmer V, Schmid R, Angermann D (2007) Combined earth orientation parameters based on homogeneous and continuous VLBI and GPS data. J Geod 81(6–8):529–541. doi:10.1007/s00190-006-0115-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watkins MM, Eanes RJ (1994) Diurnal and semidiurnal variations in earth orientation determined from LAGEOS laser ranging. J Geophys Res 99(B9):18073–18080. doi:10.1029/94JB00805

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Welch PD (1967) The use of fast fourier transform for the estimation of power spectra: a method based on time averaging over short, modified periodograms. IEEE Trans. Audio Electroacoust 15(2)

  • Wessel P, Smith WHF (1991) Free software helps map and display data. Eos Trans AGU 72:441

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Richard Ray for providing test version of the sub-daily EOP tide model using various alternative modern ocean tide models. Also, thanks to Kevin Choi for providing a perl routine for transforming IGS satellite orbits from an earth-centered earth-fixed terrestrial frame in SP3 format to the J2000 inertial frame.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. NOAA National Geodetic Survey, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD, USA

    J. Griffiths & Jim R. Ray

Authors
  1. J. Griffiths
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jim R. Ray
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Griffiths.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Griffiths, J., Ray, J.R. Sub-daily alias and draconitic errors in the IGS orbits. GPS Solut 17, 413–422 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10291-012-0289-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10291-012-0289-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation