Improving airborne strapdown vector gravimetry using stabilized horizontal components

Integrating the deflections of the vertical along the flight line can yield geoid profiles which are valuable in the study of geodesy and geophysics, fortunately, the deflections can be measured directly by vector gravimetry. Airborne vector gravimetry using a Strapdown Inertial Navigation System and the Global Navigation Satellite System (SINS/GNSS) has shown promising results in previous studies. However, the quality of the SINS and GNSS is a major limitation; in particular, the attitude errors induced by the gyros will result in large measurement errors to the horizontal components of the gravity disturbance, and these measurement errors represent the behavior of low-frequency trend. An airborne vector gravimetry method used to remove the bias and low-frequency trends in the gravity disturbance estimated for each survey line has been developed. This method uses the horizontal components of the gravity disturbance computed from EGM2008 (Earth Gravitational Model 2008) as a reference. Firstly, the horizontal measurement results obtained from the gravimeter are divided into high- and low-frequency components according to the resolution of the EGM2008, and then, the bias and low-frequency trends of the low-frequency components are corrected using a linear fit to the EGM2008 reference data. Finally, the ultimate results can be acquired after combining the high-frequency components and the corrected low-frequency components. The data used was obtained from the SGA-WZ, which is the first strapdown airborne gravimeter developed in China. The results of this method are promising. The internal accuracy of the gravity disturbance's horizontal components for repeated survey lines exceeds 3.5 mGal, and the corresponding resolution is approximately 4.8 km based on 160-s data smoothing and an airplane averaging speed of approximately 216 km/h. After applying the WCF (Wavenumber Correlation Filter), the internal accuracy of the horizontal components exceeds 2 mGal. This can satisfy the requirement of the application in geodesy and solid earth geophysics.     

A study of regional gravity field recovery from GOCE vertical gravity gradient data in the Auvergne test area using collocation

Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) is the first satellite mission that observes gravity gradients from the space, to be primarily used for the determination of high precision global gravity field models. However, the GOCE gradients, having a dense data distribution, may potentially provide better predictions of the regional gravity field than those obtained using a spherical harmonic Earth Geopotential Model (EGM). This is investigated in Auvergne test area using Least Squares Collocation (LSC) with GOCE vertical gravity gradient anomalies (T_zz), removing the long wavelength part from EGM2008 and the short wavelength part by residual terrain modelling (RTM). The results show that terrain effects on the vertical gravity gradient are significant at satellite altitude, reaching a level of 0.11 E?tv?s unit (E.U.) in the mountainous areas. Removing the RTM effects from GOCE T_zz leads to significant improvements on the LSC predictions of surface gravity anomalies and quasigeoid heights. Comparison with ground truth data shows that using LSC surface free air gravity anomalies and quasi-geoid heights are recovered from GOCE T_zz with standard deviations of 11 mGal and 18 cm, which is better than those obtained by using GOCE EGMs, demonstrating that information beyond the maximal degree of the GOCE EGMs is present. Investigation of using covariance functions created separately from GOCE T_zz and terrestrial free air gravity anomalies, suggests that both covariance functions give almost identical predictions. However, using covariance function obtained from GOCE T_zz has the effect that the predicted formal average error estimates are considerably larger than the standard deviations of predicted minus observed gravity anomalies. Therefore, GOCE T_zz should be used with caution to determine the covariance functions in areas where surface gravity anomalies are not available, if error estimates are needed.     

Data requirements for a 5-mm quasi-geoid in the Netherlands

We assess the surface gravity data requirements for a 5-mm quasi-geoid model for the Netherlands mainland and continental shelf in terms of omission and commission errors. The omission error critically depends on the roughness of the topography and bathymetry. For the Netherlands continental shelf, Central and Northern Netherlands, the omission error is well described by the model 0.32d mm, where d is the data spacing in km. For the more hilly Southern Netherlands, the omission error model is 0.92d mm. The commission error depends on the kernel modification, the data spacing, and the data accuracy. When using the spheroidal Stokes kernel, it is well described by 0.277 d σ_Δg mm, where σ_Δg is the noise standard deviation of surface gravity data in mGal. An upper bound of the commission error of the state-of-the-art satellite-only gravity model GOCO05S over the Netherlands is e^{0.03676L–11.419} mm, where L is the maximum degree up to which this model is used. Only if this model is truncated at a sufficiently low degree, e.g., at degree 100, its contribution to the total commission error can be neglected. We determine the total error as the sum of commission and omission errors. Hence, to realize a 5-mm quasi-geoid model for the Netherlands mainland and continental shelf, a data spacing of 3.5 km is needed when assuming a noise standard deviation of 1.5 mGal for surface gravity data. The currently available land-based gravity data fulfill this requirement. This does not apply to the situation at sea, where the density of the shipboard gravity data and the accuracy of the radar altimeter-derived data do not allow the realization of a 5-mm quasi-geoid model.     

EGM2008地球重力模型数据在中国大陆地区的精度分析

本文介绍了5′×5 ′的EGM2008地球重力模型及其在全球的精度评价.按照地形变化规律,将中国大陆大致分为7个区域,在10 km网度上,将EGM2008地球重力模型数据与中国地面实测空间重力网格数据进行了对比.由于数据源的问题,中国大陆的模型数据精度普遍低于北美和欧洲.二种数据在地形平坦的东部地区差别较小,向西随着地形复杂程度的增加,二种数据之间的标准差从小于10 mGal增大到50多mGal.畸变点分析表明精度极低的网格点均分布在地形起伏大的地区.总体而言,5′×5′的EGM2008地球重力模型数据在中国大陆将近80％的面积上的精度可达10 mGal之内,可用于小比例尺重力编图和构造研究.在地形起伏较大的中国西部以青藏高原为例进一步比较了EGM2008重力模型和重力测点数据,结果表明在重力点分布稀疏不均匀的地区,平面网格数据难以准确表达重力场信息.由于缺少地面重力数据控制,EGM2008重力模型数据在中国西部精度较低,但模型数据依然在很大程度上提高了空间重力异常信息的丰富程度.将中国区域重力调查成果数据应用于地球模型的构建是一项有意义的工作.     

Experiences with the use of mass-density maps in residual gravity forward modelling

In many modern local and regional gravity field modelling concepts, the short-wavelength gravitational signal modeled by the residual terrain modelling (RTM) technique is used to augment global geopotential models, or to smooth observed gravity prior to data gridding. In practice, the evaluation of RTM effects mostly relies on a constant density assumption, because of the difficulty and complexity of obtaining information on the actual distribution of density of topographic masses. Where the actual density of topographic masses deviates from the adopted value, errors are present in the RTM mass-model, and hence, in the forward-modelled residual gravity field. In this paper we attempt to overcome this problem by combining the RTM technique with a high-resolution mass-density model. We compute RTM gravity quantities over New Zealand, with different combinations of elevation models and mass-density assumptions using gravity and GPS/levelling measurements, precise terrain and bathymetry models, a high-resolution mass-density model and constant density assumptions as main input databases. Based on gravity observations and the RTM technique, optimum densities are detected for North Island of ~2500 kg m^?3, South Island of ~2600 kg m^?3, and the whole New Zealand of ~2590 kg m^?3. Comparison among the three sets of residual gravity disturbances computed from different mass-density assumptions show that, together with a global potential model, the high-resolution New Zealand density model explains ~89.5% of gravitational signals, a constant density assumption of 2670 kg m^?3 explains ~90.2%, while a regionally optimum mass-density explains ~90.3%. Detailed comparison shows that the New Zealand density model works best over areas with small residual heights. Over areas with larger residual heights, subsurface density variations appear to affect the residual gravity disturbance. This effect is found to reach about 30 mGal over Southern Alpine Fault. In order to improve the RTM modelling with mass-density maps, a higher-quality mass-density model that provides radially varying mass-density data would be desirable.     

RTM-based omission error corrections for global geopotential models: Case study in Central Europe

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the effects of residual terrain model (RTM) on potential and on gravity and to point out how significant can the omission error of global geopotential models (GGMs) be and how it can influence their testing. The RTM for Central Europe is computed in the spherical approximation. The topography is modelled by spherical tesseroids and the gravitational effect of the topography is obtained as a sum of their partial gravitational effects. A detailed picture of RTM in Slovakia is shown. The testing of GOCE (Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer) global geopotential models in Central Europe published earlier is re-evaluated with the more rigorous omission error estimation. Experimental results show significantly better agreement between the gravity anomalies computed from global geopotential models with the omission-error estimation and gravity anomalies obtained from the direct measurements. On the other hand, for height anomalies such an improvement is not observed. The results are discussed in context of the other previously published studies.     

On High-Frequency Topography-Implied Gravity Signals for a Height System Unification Using GOCE-Based Global Geopotential Models

National height reference systems have conventionally been linked to the local mean sea level, observed at individual tide gauges. Due to variations in the sea surface topography, the reference levels of these systems are inconsistent, causing height datum offsets of up to ±1–2 m. For the unification of height systems, a satellite-based method is presented that utilizes global geopotential models (GGMs) derived from ESA’s satellite mission Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE). In this context, height datum offsets are estimated within a least squares adjustment by comparing the GGM information with measured GNSS/leveling data. While the GNSS/leveling data comprises the full spectral information, GOCE GGMs are restricted to long wavelengths according to the maximum degree of their spherical harmonic representation. To provide accurate height datum offsets, it is indispensable to account for the remaining signal above this maximum degree, known as the omission error of the GGM. Therefore, a combination of the GOCE information with the high-resolution Earth Gravitational Model 2008 (EGM2008) is performed. The main contribution of this paper is to analyze the benefit, when high-frequency topography-implied gravity signals are additionally used to reduce the remaining omission error of EGM2008. In terms of a spectral extension, a new method is proposed that does not rely on an assumed spectral consistency of topographic heights and implied gravity as is the case for the residual terrain modeling (RTM) technique. In the first step of this new approach, gravity forward modeling based on tesseroid mass bodies is performed according to the Rock–Water–Ice (RWI) approach. In a second step, the resulting full spectral RWI-based topographic potential values are reduced by the effect of the topographic gravity field model RWI_TOPO_2015, thus, removing the long to medium wavelengths. By using the latest GOCE GGMs, the impact of topography-implied gravity signals on the estimation of height datum offsets is analyzed in detail for representative GNSS/leveling data sets in Germany, Austria, and Brazil. Besides considerable changes in the estimated offset of up to 3 cm, the conducted analyses show that significant improvements of 30–40% can be achieved in terms of a reduced standard deviation and range of the least squares adjusted residuals.     

地形/均衡重力场模型构制及其拟稳分析

重力空白区数据填补的一个主要方法是基于地壳均衡理论进行的,该方法亦用于EGM系列模型的构建中.本文研究了地形数据在构制地形/均衡重力场模型中的应用,分析了补偿深度对Airy位模型和面凝聚位模型的影响,给出二者的最佳补偿深度分别为50 km和40 km.以纯卫星重力模型为参考,后者在前120阶的精度要高于前者,但在121~250阶的精度较低,组合模型精度高于单一模型精度.对地形/均衡地球重力场模型进行了EGM2008拟稳分析,研究了不同分辨率基准的拟稳效果,分析表明：30'分辨率的拟稳基准所得拟稳模型对应的阶方差与参考阶方差曲线直到360阶都有较好的一致性,以EGM2008为基准,其相对累计大地水准面高误差在140阶时为6.83cm,相对累计重力异常误差在220阶时为1.10 mGal.     

引入最优自适应因子的状态模型法航空重力测量

引入最优自适应比例因子以改善状态模型法航空重力测量的精度,并尝试将其应用到我国困难地区的重力测量.把重力扰动当作状态量引入Kalman滤波进行最优估计,并引入最优自适应因子调节状态信息的权阵,提高重力扰动的最终解算精度.利用新疆地区不同航次和航高的实测数据,计算了垂直向下方向上的重力扰动.与全球重力场模型EGM2008的对比分析表明,差值中误差在10mGal左右,接近国家在困难地区重力测量精度的限差要求.     

Combined Regional Gravity Model of the Andean Convergent Subduction Zone and Its Application to Crustal Density Modelling in Active Plate Margins

The Central Andean subduction system is one of the most active geological structures on Earth. Although there have been a few previous studies, the structure and dynamics of the system are still not well understood. In the present study, we determine a combined regional gravity model of the Andean convergent subduction region for constraining lithospheric models. After a thorough validation and cleaning of the terrestrial gravity and height databases, the method of Least Squares Collocation was applied to consistently combine terrestrial and satellite gravity data, putting much emphasis on the stochastic modelling of the individual data components. As a result, we computed the first high-resolution regional gravity model of the study region that includes GOCE satellite gravity information. The inclusion of GOCE is an essential distinction from the independent global gravity model EGM2008. Validation against EGM2008 reveals that our regional solution is very consistent in regions where terrestrial gravity data are available, but shows systematic differences in areas with terrestrial data gaps. Artefacts in the EGM2008 of up to 150 mGal could be identified. The new combined regional model benefits from the very homogeneous error characteristics and accuracy of GOCE gravity data in the long-to-medium wavelengths down to 80–100 km. Reliable density modelling became possible also in the region of Central Andes, which lacks terrestrial gravity data. Finally, density models were adapted to fit the new regional gravity field solution. The results clearly demonstrate the capabilities of GOCE to better constrain lithospheric models.     

GRACE/GOCE扩展重力场模型确定我国1985高程基准重力位的精度分析

高精度高程基准重力位的确定往往依赖于高精度全球重力场模型,其对全球和区域高程基准的高精度统一非常关键,GRACE、GOCE卫星重力计划极大地提高了全球重力场模型中长波的精度.本文首先对GRACE/GOCE卫星重力场模型的内符合和外符合精度进行讨论分析,结果说明卫星重力模型的截断误差影响可达到分米级水平,在确定高程基准重力位时该影响不可忽略.利用EGM2008模型扩展GRACE/GOCE卫星重力场模型至2190阶,可有效减弱卫星重力模型的截断误差影响,但不同模型扩展时的最优拼接阶次不同,其中DIR-1、DIR-5模型对应的最优拼接阶次分别为180阶和220阶,以GPS水准数据检验,扩展模型在中国区域的精度均优于18cm.最后,基于最优拼接阶次获得的扩展重力场模型对我国1985高程基准重力位进行了估计,DIR-5和TIM-5模型对应数值分别为62636853.47m~2·s~(-2)和62636853.49m~2·s~(-2),精度均为1.51m~2·s~(-2);发现在中国区域模型大地水准面与GPS/水准数据的差值存在微弱的系统性倾斜,东西向倾斜约为9cm,南北向倾斜约为1.4cm,考虑倾斜改正后基于DIR-5和TIM-5模型估计我国1985高程基准重力位的精度提高了0.16m~2·s~(-2).     

融合多源数据构建区域航空重力梯度扰动全张量

通过联合全球重力位模型(EGM2008)、航空重力扰动数据和剩余地形模型(RTM)数据,基于频谱域(二维FFT变换)和空间域(Stokes数值积分)算法对毛乌素测区GT-2A航空重力测量系统采集的空中测线后处理重力扰动数据进行解算,构建了该地区的航空重力梯度扰动全张量.(1)残余航空重力扰动延拓结果表明:残余航空重力扰动经向下延拓至大地水准面,再向上延拓至航空高度后与原数据差值的标准差为1.0078 mGal,考虑边缘效应后,内缩计算范围得到的差值标准差减小至0.1269 mGal.(2)基于残余重力扰动数据(原航空高度数据及向下延拓数据),通过不同方案解算得到的梯度扰动结果表明:两种方案得到的研究区域重力梯度扰动各分量之差的最大标准差为6.4798E(Γ_(yz)分量),最小标准差为2.6968E(Γ_(xy)分量),内缩计算范围后得到的差值标准差最大值为1.8307E(Γ_(zz)分量),最小值为0.7223E(Γ_(yz)分量).本文的思路和方法可为未来我国自主构建航空重力梯度标定场提供参考.     

Using ground gravity to improve ice mass change estimation from GOCE gravity gradients in mid-west Greenland

Vertical gravity gradient anomalies from the Gravity and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) DIR-3 model have been used to determine gravity anomalies in mid-west Greenland by using Least-Squares Collocation (LSC) and the Reduced Point Mass (RPM) method. The two methods give nearly identical results. However, compared to LSC, the RPM method needs less computational time as the number of equations to be solved in LSC equals the number of observations. The advantage of the LSC, however, is the acquired error estimates. The observation periods are winter 2009 and summer 2012. In order to enhance the accuracy of the calculated gravity anomalies, ground gravity data from West Greenland is used over locations where the gravity change resulting from ice mass changes is negligible, i.e. over solid rock. In the period considered, the gravity anomaly change due to changes in ice mass varies from ?5 mGal to 4 mGal. It is negative over the outlet glacier Jacobshavn Isbræ, where the mass loss corresponds to a gravity change of approximately ?4 mGal. When using only GOCE vertical gravity gradients, the error estimates range from 5 mGal at the coast to 17 mGal over the ice sheet. Introducing the ground gravity data from West Greenland in the prediction reduces the errors to range from 2 to 10 mGal.     

航空重力测量的系统误差补偿

基于航空重力测量的基本数学模型,详细分析了航空重力测量的系统误差来源.大致可将系统误差分为三类,即停机坪重力基准值、比力初值的观测误差,格值、交叉耦合系数、摆杆尺度因子的标定误差和水平加速度改正的模型化误差等.然后,对每类系统误差的量级及其补偿方法进行了研究,指出水平加速度改正是引起系统误差的主要因素之一.大同、哈尔滨和渤海湾航空重力测量的实测数据分析均表明,在各项系统误差尤其是水平加速度改正得到有效补偿后,航空重力与地面(或船测)参考值的系统误差将小于1×10^-5m·s^-2.     

Regional gravity field modeling based on rectangular harmonic analysis

Regional gravity field modeling with high-precision and high-resolution is one of the most important scientific objectives in geodesy,and can provide fundamental information for geophysics,geodynamics,seismology,and mineral exploration.Rectangular harmonic analysis(RHA)is proposed for regional gravity field modeling in this paper.By solving the Laplace’s equation of gravitational potential in local Cartesian coordinate system,the rectangular harmonic expansions of disturbing potential,gravity anomaly,gravity disturbance,geoid undulation and deflection of the vertical are derived,and so are the formula for signal degree variance and error degree variance of the rectangular harmonic coefficients(RHC).We also present the mathematical model and detailed algorithm for the solution of RHC using RHA from gravity observations.In order to reduce the edge effects caused by periodic continuation in RHA,we propose the strategy of extending the size of computation domain.The RHA-based modeling method is validated by conducting numerical experiments based on simulated ground and airborne gravity data that are generated from geopotential model EGM2008 and contaminated by Gauss white noise with standard deviation of 2 mGal.The accuracy of the 2.5′×2.5′geoid undulations computed from ground and airborne gravity data is 1 and 1.4cm,respectively.The standard error of the gravity disturbances that downward continued from the flight height of 4 km to the geoid is only 3.1 mGal.Numerical results confirm that RHA is able to provide a reliable and accurate regional gravity field model,which may be a new option for the representation of the fine structure of regional gravity field.     

应用多种来源重力异常编制中国海陆及邻区空间重力异常图及重力场解读

本文通过分析陆地实测空间重力异常数据、海洋船载测量空间重力异常数据、卫星测高重力异常,布格重力异常数据、EGM2008地球重力模型数据等多种来源数据的性质和精度,并对相关数据进行对比,研究了编制1:500万中国海陆空间重力异常图的数据使用方案和技术方法.在地形较为平坦、实测数据分布均匀的陆区,使用实测数据,在地形复杂,实测数据稀少以及没有实测数据的陆区或岛屿,利用布格重力异常反推空间异常的方法合成平均空间重力数据,西藏地区的数据对比实验证明合成平均空间重力异常数据是一种有效的数据补充.利用三观测列方差分解法在南海地区对船载测量空间重力数据和美国SS系列及丹麦DNSC08GRA卫星重力数据进行了方差分解计算,结果表明不同来源的卫星测高重力数据具有很大的一致性,数据精度较以往有了很大的提高.海区空间重力数据使用原则是在船载重力测量数据校准下,全面使用卫星测高重力数据进行编图.海陆过渡区的异常处理应以EGM2008地球重力模型重力场为基准参考场,实现海陆异常平缓过渡,无缝连接.对中国海陆空间重力异常场进行了小波变换处理,对空间重力异常场进行了解读,勾画出三横四竖的一级重力梯级带及其所围限的8个一级重力异常区,并划分了二级重力异常区和梯级带,为块体构造学体系中大地构造格架的建立提供了地球物理证据.     

基于泊松小波径向基函数融合多源数据的局部重力场建模

融合多源数据的高精度、高分辨率的局部重力场建模是物理大地测量学的前沿和热点问题.本文研究了基于径向基函数融合多源数据的局部重力场建模方法,利用Monte-Carlo方差分量估计实现了不同类型的观测数据的合理定权,引入了最小标准差法确定基函数的适宜网络,分析了地形因素对于基函数网络确定及局部重力场建模精度的影响.以泊松小波基函数为构造基函数,结合残差地形模型,融合实测的陆地重力异常、船载重力异常及航空重力扰动数据构建了局部区域陆海统一的似大地水准面模型.研究结果表明:引入残差地形模型平滑了地形质量引入的高频扰动信号,简化了基函数的网络设计;并提高了重力似大地水准面的精度,平原地区其精度提高了4mm,地形起伏较大的山区其精度提高了约5cm.总体而言,基于"三步法"构建的局部重力似大地水准面在荷兰、比利时及德国相关区域,其精度分别达到1.12cm、2.80cm以及2.92cm.     

基于EGM2008重力场模型的GPS高程转换方法及精度分析

研究利用重力场模型直接进行GPS高程转换的方法,即模型高程异常法和模型重力位法.根据误差传播定律,导出了由重力场模型位系数方差计算模型高程异常以及模型正常高的误差公式,并对影响两种GPS高程转换方法精度的因素进行分析.利用具有代表性的EGM96、EIGEN-51C和EGM2008重力场模型及某线路GPS/水准数据对两种方法进行实验研究与精度分析,结果表明:理论公式及实验结果都显示两种高程转换方法是等价的,转换精度相当;两种方法使用过程中,均可能需要系统偏差校正;EGM2008重力场模型具有非常好的分辨率及精度,在局部区域,基于EGM2008模型的GPS高程转换精度有望达到cm级.