High Resolution Constituents of the Earth’s Gravitational Field

During the General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union in April 2008, the new Earth Gravitational Model 2008 (EGM08) was released with fully-normalized coefficients in the spherical harmonic expansion of the Earth’s gravitational potential complete to degree and order 2159 (for selected degrees up to 2190). EGM08 was derived through combination of a satellite-based geopotential model and 5 arcmin mean ground gravity data. Spherical harmonic coefficients of the global height function, that describes the surface of the solid Earth with the same angular resolution as EGM08, became available at the same time. This global topographical model can be used for estimation of selected constituents of EGM08, namely the gravitational potentials of the Earth’s atmosphere, ocean water (fluid masses below the geoid) and topographical masses (solid masses above the geoid), which can be evaluated numerically through spherical harmonic expansions. The spectral properties of the respective potential coefficients are studied in terms of power spectra and their relation to the EGM08 potential coefficients is analyzed by using correlation coefficients. The power spectra of the topographical and sea water potentials exceed the power of the EGM08 potential over substantial parts of the considered spectrum indicating large effects of global isostasy. The correlation analysis reveals significant correlations of all three potentials with the EGM08 potential. The potential constituents (namely their functionals such as directional derivatives) can be used for a step known in geodesy and geophysics as the gravity field reduction or stripping. Removing from EGM08 known constituents will help to analyze the internal structure of the Earth (geophysics) as well as to derive the Earth’s gravitational field harmonic outside the geoid (geodesy).     

Interpretation of general geophysical patterns in Iran based on GRACE gradient component analysis

Only with satellites it is possible to cover the entire Earth densely with gravity field related measurements of uniform quality within a short period of time. However, due to the altitude of the satellite orbits, the signals of individual local masses are strongly damped. Based on the approach of Petrovskaya and Vershkov we determine the gravity gradient tensor directly from the spherical harmonic coefficients of the recent EIGEN-GL04C combined model of the GRACE satellite mission. Satellite gradiometry can be used as a complementary tool to gravity and geoid information in interpreting the general geophysical and geodynamical features of the Earth. Due to the high altitude of the satellite, the effects of the topography and the internal masses of the Earth are strongly damped. However, the gradiometer data, which are nothing else than the second order spatial derivatives of the gravity potential, efficiently counteract signal attenuation at the low and medium frequencies. In this article we review the procedure for estimating the gravity gradient components directly from spherical harmonics coefficients. Then we apply this method as a case study for the interpretation of possible geophysical or geodynamical patterns in Iran. We found strong correlations between the cross-components of the gravity gradient tensor and the components of the deflection of vertical, and we show that this result agrees with theory. Also, strong correlations of the gravity anomaly, geoid model and a digital elevation model were found with the diagonal elements of the gradient tensor.     

The gravity field and GGOS

The gravity field of the earth is a natural element of the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS). Gravity field quantities are like spatial geodetic observations of potential very high accuracy, with measurements, currently at part-per-billion (ppb) accuracy, but gravity field quantities are also unique as they can be globally represented by harmonic functions (long-wavelength geopotential model primarily from satellite gravity field missions), or based on point sampling (airborne and in situ absolute and superconducting gravimetry). From a GGOS global perspective, one of the main challenges is to ensure the consistency of the global and regional geopotential and geoid models, and the temporal changes of the gravity field at large spatial scales. The International Gravity Field Service, an umbrella “level-2” IAG service (incorporating the International Gravity Bureau, International Geoid Service, International Center for Earth Tides, International Center for Global Earth models, and other future new services for, e.g., digital terrain models), would be a natural key element contributing to GGOS. Major parts of the work of the services would, however, remain complementary to the GGOS contributions, which focus on the long-wavelength components of the geopotential and its temporal variations, the consistent procedures for regional data processing in a unified vertical datum and Terrestrial Reference Frame, and the ensuring validations of long-wavelength gravity field data products.     

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.     

A new ellipsoidal gravimetric, satellite altimetry and astronomic boundary value problem, a case study: The geoid of Iran

A new gravimetric, satellite altimetry, astronomical ellipsoidal boundary value problem for geoid computations has been developed and successfully tested. This boundary value problem has been constructed for gravity observables of the type (i) gravity potential, (ii) gravity intensity (i.e. modulus of gravity acceleration), (iii) astronomical longitude, (iv) astronomical latitude and (v) satellite altimetry observations. The ellipsoidal coordinates of the observation points have been considered as known quantities in the set-up of the problem in the light of availability of GPS coordinates. The developed boundary value problem is ellipsoidal by nature and as such takes advantage of high precision GPS observations in the set-up. The algorithmic steps of the solution of the boundary value problem are as follows:

- Application of the ellipsoidal harmonic expansion complete up to degree and order 360 and of the ellipsoidal centrifugal field for the removal of the effect of global gravity and the isostasy field from the gravity intensity and the astronomical observations at the surface of the Earth.

- Application of the ellipsoidal Newton integral on the multi-cylindrical equal-area map projection surface for the removal from the gravity intensity and the astronomical observations at the surface of the Earth the effect of the residual masses at the radius of up to 55 km from the computational point.

- Application of the ellipsoidal harmonic expansion complete up to degree and order 360 and ellipsoidal centrifugal field for the removal from the geoidal undulations derived from satellite altimetry the effect of the global gravity and isostasy on the geoidal undulations.

- Application of the ellipsoidal Newton integral on the multi-cylindrical equal-area map projection surface for the removal from the geoidal undulations derived from satellite altimetry the effect of the water masses outside the reference ellipsoid within a radius of 55 km around the computational point.

- Least squares solution of the observation equations of the incremental quantities derived from aforementioned steps in order to obtain the incremental gravity potential at the surface of the reference ellipsoid.

- The removed effects at the application points are restored on the surface of reference ellipsoid.

- Application of the ellipsoidal Bruns’ formula for converting the potential values on the surface of the reference ellipsoid into the geoidal heights with respect to the reference ellipsoid.

- Computation of the geoid of Iran has successfully tested this new methodology.

A precise gravimetric geoid model in a mountainous area with scarce gravity data: a case study in central Turkey

In mountainous regions with scarce gravity data, gravimetric geoid determination is a difficult task that needs special attention to obtain reliable results satisfying the demands, e.g., of engineering applications. The present study investigates a procedure for combining a suitable global geopotential model and available terrestrial data in order to obtain a precise regional geoid model for Konya Closed Basin (KCB). The KCB is located in the central part of Turkey, where a very limited amount of terrestrial gravity data is available. Various data sources, such as the Turkish digital elevation model with 3 ?? × 3?? resolution, a recently published satellite-only global geopotential model from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment satellite (GRACE) and the ground gravity observations, are combined in the least-squares sense by the modified Stokes?? formula. The new gravimetric geoid model is compared with Global Positioning System (GPS)/levelling at the control points, resulting in the Root Mean Square Error (RMS) differences of ±6.4 cm and 1.7 ppm in the absolute and relative senses, respectively. This regional geoid model appears to be more accurate than the Earth Gravitational Model 2008, which is the best global model over the target area, with the RMS differences of ±8.6 cm and 1.8 ppm in the absolute and relative senses, respectively. These results show that the accuracy of a regional gravimetric model can be augmented by the combination of a global geopotential model and local terrestrial data in mountainous areas even though the quality and resolution of the primary terrestrial data are not satisfactory to the geoid modelling procedure.     

联合多代卫星测高和多源重力数据的局部大地水准面精化方法

本文研究了基于泊松小波径向基函数融合多代卫星测高及多源重力数据精化大地水准面模型的方法.分别以沿轨垂线偏差和大地水准面高高差作为卫星测高观测量,研究了使用不同类型测高数据对于大地水准面建模精度的影响.针对全球潮汐模型在浅水区域及部分开阔海域精度较低的问题,引入局部潮汐模型研究了不同潮汐模型对于大地水准面的影响.数值分析表明:相比于使用沿轨垂线偏差作为测高观测量,基于沿轨大地水准面高高差解算得到的大地水准面模型的精度更高,特别是在海域区域,其精度提高了2.3cm.由于使用沿轨大地水准面高高差作为测高观测量削弱了潮汐模型长波误差的影响,采用不同潮汐模型对大地水准面解算的影响较小.总体而言,船载重力及测高观测数据在海洋重力场的确定中呈现互补性关系,联合两类重力场观测量可以提高局部重力场的建模精度.     

Point Mass Method Applied to the Regional Gravimetric Determination of the Geoid

The determination of the local gravity field by means of the point mass inversion method can be performed as an alternative to conventional numerical methods, such as the least-squares collocation. Based on the first derivative of the inverse-distance Newtonian potential for the representation of the gravity anomaly data, it is possible to compute any wavelength component of the geoid in planar approximation with sufficient accuracy. In order to exemplify the theoretical concept, two applications are presented of the computation of two different wavelength components of the geoid, the long wavelength component in a local solution and the short wavelength component in a regional solution. The results are compared with corresponding least-squares collocation solutions, using a global geopotential model to remove and to restore the long wavelength component.     

Atmospheric effects on satellite gravity gradiometry data

Atmospheric masses play an important role in precise downward continuation and validation of satellite gravity gradiometry data. In this paper we present two alternative ways to formulate the atmospheric potential. Two density models for the atmosphere are proposed and used to formulate the external and internal atmospheric potentials in spherical harmonics. Based on the derived harmonic coefficients, the direct atmospheric effects on the satellite gravity gradiometry data are investigated and presented in the orbital frame over Fennoscandia. The formulas of the indirect atmospheric effects on gravity anomaly and geoid (downward continued quantities) are also derived using the proposed density models. The numerical results show that the atmospheric effect can only be significant for precise validation or inversion of the GOCE gradiometric data at the mE level.     

The Rock–Water–Ice Topographic Gravity Field Model RWI_TOPO_2015 and Its Comparison to a Conventional Rock-Equivalent Version

RWI_TOPO_2015 is a new high-resolution spherical harmonic representation of the Earth’s topographic gravitational potential that is based on a refined Rock–Water–Ice (RWI) approach. This method is characterized by a three-layer decomposition of the Earth’s topography with respect to its rock, water, and ice masses. To allow a rigorous separate modeling of these masses with variable density values, gravity forward modeling is performed in the space domain using tesseroid mass bodies arranged on an ellipsoidal reference surface. While the predecessor model RWI_TOPO_2012 was based on the \(5'\times 5'\) global topographic database DTM2006.0 (Digital Topographic Model 2006.0), the new RWI model uses updated height information of the \(1'\times 1'\) Earth2014 topography suite. Moreover, in the case of RWI_TOPO_2015, the representation in spherical harmonics is extended to degree and order 2190 (formerly 1800). Beside a presentation of the used formalism, the processing for RWI_TOPO_2015 is described in detail, and the characteristics of the resulting spherical harmonic coefficients are analyzed in the space and frequency domain. Furthermore, this paper focuses on a comparison of the RWI approach to the conventionally used rock-equivalent method. For this purpose, a consistent rock-equivalent version REQ_TOPO_2015 is generated, in which the heights of water and ice masses are condensed to the constant rock density. When evaluated on the surface of the GRS80 ellipsoid (Geodetic Reference System 1980), the differences of RWI_TOPO_2015 and REQ_TOPO_2015 reach maximum amplitudes of about 1 m, 50 mGal, and 20 mE in terms of height anomaly, gravity disturbance, and the radial–radial gravity gradient, respectively. Although these differences are attenuated with increasing height above the ellipsoid, significant magnitudes can even be detected in the case of the satellite altitudes of current gravity field missions. In order to assess their performance, RWI_TOPO_2015, REQ_TOPO_2015, and RWI_TOPO_2012 are validated against independent gravity information of current global geopotential models, clearly demonstrating the attained improvements in the case of the new RWI model.     

Far-zone contributions to the gravity field quantities by means of Molodensky’s truncation coefficients

To reduce the numerical complexity of inverse solutions to large systems of discretised integral equations in gravimetric geoid/quasigeoid modelling, the surface domain of Green’s integrals is subdivided into the near-zone and far-zone integration sub-domains. The inversion is performed for the near zone using regional detailed gravity data. The farzone contributions to the gravity field quantities are estimated from an available global geopotential model using techniques for a spherical harmonic analysis of the gravity field. For computing the far-zone contributions by means of Green’s integrals, truncation coefficients are applied. Different forms of truncation coefficients have been derived depending on a type of integrals in solving various geodetic boundary-value problems. In this study, we utilise Molodensky’s truncation coefficients to Green’s integrals for computing the far-zone contributions to the disturbing potential, the gravity disturbance, and the gravity anomaly. We also demonstrate that Molodensky’s truncation coefficients can be uniformly applied to all types of Green’s integrals used in solving the boundaryvalue problems. The numerical example of the far-zone contributions to the gravity field quantities is given over the area of study which comprises the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The coefficients of a global geopotential model and a detailed digital terrain model are used as input data.     

The Earth's gravity field

The Earth's gravity field can be determined from gravity measurements made on the surface of the Earth, and through the analysis of the motion of Earth satellites. Gravity data can be used to solve the boundary value problem of gravimetric geodesy in various ways, from the classical formulation using a geoid to the concept of a reference surface interior to the masses of the Earth to a statistical method. We now have gravity information for 1⁰ data blocks over 46% of the Earth's surface and more than several million point measurements available.Satellite observations such as range, range-rate, and optical data have been analyzed to determine potential coefficients used to describe the Earth's gravitational potential field. Coefficients, in a spherical harmonic expansion to degree 12, can be determined from satellite data alone, and to at least degree 20 when the satellite data is combined with surface gravity material. Recent solutions for potential coefficients agree well to degree 4, but with increasing disagreement at higher degrees.     

Determining the maximum degree of harmonic coefficients in geopotential models by Monte Carlo methods

Random errors for the harmonic coefficients of a geopotential model are generated from the matrix of normal equations by a parallel computer applying the Gibbs sampler. This leads to random values for the harmonic coefficients. They are transformed by nonlinear, quadratic transformations to random values for the square roots of degree variances, of mean squares of geoid undulations and gravity anomalies. The expected values of these quantities are not equal to the values of these quantities computed by the estimated harmonic coefficients, due to correlations and errors in the estimation. By hypothesis tests estimated harmonic coefficients distorted by correlations and errors are detected. Applying the tests to the geopotential model ITG-CHAMP01 of the Institute of Theoretical Geodesy in Bonn it is concluded that above the degree 62 the harmonic coefficients cannot add any information to the geopotential model.     

Comparison of global geopotential models from the champ and grace missions for regional geoid modelling in Turkey

The continuous efforts on establishment and modernization of the geodetic control in Turkey include a number of regional geoid models that have been determined since 1976. The recently released gravimetric Geoid of Turkey, TG03, is used in geodetic applications where GPS-heights need to be converted to the local vertical datum. To reach a regional geoid model with improved accuracy, the selection of the appropriate global geopotential model is of primary importance. This study assesses the performance of a number of recent satellite-only and combined global geopotential models (GGMs) derived from CHAMP and GRACE missions’ data in comparison to the older EGM96 model, which is the underlying reference model for TG03. In this respect, gravity anomalies and geoid heights from the global geopotential models were compared with terrestrial gravity data and low-pass filtered GPS/levelling data, respectively. Also, five new gravimetric geoid models, computed by the Fast Fourier Transform technique using terrestrial gravity data and the geopotential models, were validated at the GPS/levelling benchmarks. The findings were also compared with the validation results of the TG03 model. The tests showed that as it was expected any of the high-degree combined models (EIGEN-CG03C, EIGEN-GL04C, EGM96) can be employed for determining the gravity anomalies over Turkey. In the west of Turkey, EGM96 and EIGEN-CHAMP03S fit the GPS/levelling surface better. However, all the tested GGMs revealed equal performance when they were employed in gravimetric geoid modelling after de-trending the gravimetric geoid model with corrector surface fitting. The new geoid models have improved accuracy (after fit) compared to TG03.     

利用径向基函数RBF解算GRACE全球时变重力场

本文利用GRACE(Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment)level 1b数据和径向基函数RBF(radial basis function)方法解算了全球时变地球重力场.RBF基函数相比传统球谐(spherical harmonic)基函数,其高度的空域局部特性使得正则化过程易于添加先验协方差信息,从而可能揭示更加准确的重力场信号.本文研究表明,RBF基函数算法在精化现有的GRACE全球时变重力场模型,如提升部分区域信号幅度等方面具有一定优势.本文通过将RBF的尺度因子作为待解参数,基于GRACE卫星的Level 1b数据和变分方程法,成功获取了2009-2010年90阶无约束全球时变重力场RBF模型Hust-IGG03,以及正则化全球时变重力场RBF模型Hust-IGG04.通过与GRACE官方数据处理中心GFZ发布的最新90阶球谐基时变模型RL05a进行对比,结果表明:(1)无约束RBF模型Hust-IGG03和GFZ RL05a在空域和频域表现基本一致;(2)正则化RBF模型Hust-IGG04无需进行后处理滤波已经显示较高信噪比,噪音水平接近于球谐基模型GFZ RL05a经400 km高斯滤波后的效果;(3)HustIGG04相比400 km高斯滤波GFZ RL05a在周年振幅图和趋势图上显示出更多的细节信息,并且呈现出更强的信号幅度,如在格陵兰冰川融化趋势估计上Hust-IGG04比GFZ RL05a提高了24.2%.以上结果均显示RBF方法有助于进一步挖掘GRACE观测值所包含的时变重力场信息.     

基于非全张量卫星重力梯度数据的张量不变量法

在非全张量卫星重力梯度观测数据的处理过程中,由于卫星姿态角误差、梯度观测数据误差和非全张量观测等原因,重力梯度值从卫星重力梯度仪系转换到地固系后,精度损失严重.本文研究了张量不变量法以解决上述问题.首先在重力梯度张量不变量线性化的基础上,建立了基于卫星轨道面的不变量观测模型,完整地推导了两类重力梯度张量不变量的球近似和...     

GOCE Data Processing: The Spherical Cap Regularization Approach

Due to the sun-synchronous orbit of the satellite gravity gradiometry mission GOCE, the measurements will not be globally available. As a consequence, using a set of base functions with global support such as spherical harmonics, the matrix of normal equations tends to be ill-conditioned, leading to weakly determined low-order spherical harmonic coefficients. The corresponding geopotential strongly oscillates at the poles. Considering the special configuration of the GOCE mission, in order to stabilize the normal equations matrix, the Spherical Cap Regularization Approach (SCRA) has been developed. In this approach the geopotential function at the poles is predescribed by an analytical continuous function, which is defined solely in the spatially restricted polar regions. This function could either be based on an existing gravity field model or, alternatively, a low-degree gravity field solution which is adjusted from GOCE observations. Consequently the inversion process is stabilized. The feasibility of the SCRA is evaluated based on a numerical closed-loop simulation, using a realistic GOCE mission scenario. Compared with standard methods such as Kaula and Tikhonov regularization, the SCRA shows a considerably improved performance.     

Detection of Local Geoid Deformations by Gravity Disturbances from GPS/Gravimetric Observations

This paper deals with a method for detection of local geoid deformations; as a consequence, the methods main application concerns geoid adjustment to GPS/levelling points. This is based on the fact that these points should present no local geoid deformation to avoid errors in the adjustments. These type of miscalculations would lead to an incorrect adjustment and result in further errors in subsequent studies with GPS in the proximity at the point with local deformation.The method proposed is based on predictions of gravity disturbance from geoid undulations using Poisson integral with modified kernel, and its comparison with the gravity disturbance from GPS and gravimetric observations.The use of gravity disturbance instead of gravity anomalies has been chosen since gravity disturbance is a quantity derived from GPS and not from levelling. The loss of accuracy arising with a local height reference system is therefore theoretically avoided as far as the differences in geodetic reference systems regarding positions of gravity measurements and coefficients of the global models are accounted for.Extended numerical tests using computed geoidal undulations and the corresponding gravity disturbances obtained from the geopotential model GPM98cr computed up to degree 720 illustrate the validity of the proposed method and its usefulness as local geoid deformations detection tool.Finally, the method is tested using real GPS/Gravimetric data and geoid models IBERGEO95 and EGG97 with good results.     

Topographic and atmospheric effects on goce gradiometric data in a local north-oriented frame: A case study in Fennoscandia and Iran

Satellite gradiometry is an observation technique providing data that allow for evaluation of Stokes’ (geopotential) coefficients. This technique is capable of determining higher degrees/orders of the geopotential coefficients than can be achieved by traditional dynamic satellite geodesy. The satellite gradiometry data include topographic and atmospheric effects. By removing those effects, the satellite data becomes smoother and harmonic outside sea level and therefore more suitable for downward continuation to the Earth’s surface. For example, in this way one may determine a set of spherical harmonics of the gravity field that is harmonic in the exterior to sea level. This article deals with the above effects on the satellite gravity gradients in the local north-oriented frame. The conventional expressions of the gradients in this frame have a rather complicated form, depending on the first-and second-order derivatives of the associated Legendre functions, which contain singular factors when approaching the poles. On the contrary, we express the harmonic series of atmospheric and topographic effects as non-singular expressions. The theory is applied to the regions of Fennoscandia and Iran, where maps of such effects and their statistics are presented and discussed.     

Explicit formula for the geoid-quasigeoid separation

The explicit formula for the geoid-to-quasigeoid correction is derived in this paper. On comparing the geoidal height and height anomaly, this correction is found to be a function of the mean value of gravity disturbance along the plumbline within the topography. To evaluate the mean gravity disturbance, the gravity field of the Earth is decomposed into components generated by masses within the geoid, topography and atmosphere. Newton’s integration is then used for the computation of topography-and atmosphere-generated components of the mean gravity, while the combined solution for the downward continuation of gravity anomalies and Stokes’ boundary-value problem is utilized in computing the component of mean gravity disturbance generated by mass irregularities within the geoid. On application of this explicit formulism a theoretical accuracy of a few millimetres can be achieved in evaluation of the geoid-to-quasigeoid correction. However, the real accuracy could be lower due to deficiencies within the numerical methods and to errors within the input data (digital terrain and density models and gravity observations).