Determination of gravity anomaly at sea level from inversion of satellite gravity gradiometric data

Gravity gradients can be used to determine the local gravity field of the Earth. This paper investigates downward continuation of all elements of the disturbing gravitational tensor at satellite level using the second-order partial derivatives of the extended Stokes formula in the local-north oriented frame to determine the gravity anomaly at sea level. It considers the inversion of each gradient separately as well as their joint inversion. Numerical studies show that the gradients T_zz, T_xx, T_yy and T_xz have similar capability of being continued downward to sea level in the presence of white noise, while the gradient T_yz is considerably worse than the others. The bias-corrected joint inversion process shows the possibility of recovering the gravity anomaly with 1 mGal accuracy. Variance component estimation is also tested to update the observation weights in the joint inversion.     

用GRACE卫星跟踪数据反演地球重力场

利用141天GRACE卫星观测资料,包括K波段、星载加速度和卫星轨道数据,反演了80阶地球重力场模型IGGGRACE01S,该模型在半波长为500km的空间分辨率上,确定大地水准面的精度约为0012m,中长波(<80阶)精度优于重力卫星发射以前研制的重力场模型. 与EIGEN_GRACE02S、EIGEN_CHAMP03S和EGM96模型的位系数相比,该模型系数最接近于EIGEN_GRACE02S,与另两个模型差异较大. 比较几种模型确定的全球重力异常和大地水准面起伏,结果发现IGGGRACE01S与EIGEN_GRACE02S模型的计算结果比较接近,与EGM96模型结果差异较大,差别较大地区主要在南极等地区. 对于中国大陆,比较IGGGRACE01S模型（前72阶）计算的重力异常和NIMA重力异常数据（25°×25°网格）,两者之间的标准偏差为48mGal.     

Conditionality of inverse solutions to discretised integral equations in geoid modelling from local gravity data

The eigenvalue decomposition technique is used for analysis of conditionality of two alternative solutions for a determination of the geoid from local gravity data. The first solution is based on the standard two-step approach utilising the inverse of the Abel-Poisson integral equation (downward continuation) and consequently the Stokes/Hotine integration (gravity inversion). The second solution is based on a single integral that combines the downward continuation and the gravity inversion in one integral equation. Extreme eigenvalues and corresponding condition numbers of matrix operators are investigated to compare the stability of inverse problems of the above-mentioned computational models. To preserve a dominantly diagonal structure of the matrices for inverse solutions, the horizontal positions of the parameterised solution on the geoid and of data points are identical. The numerical experiments using real data reveal that the direct gravity inversion is numerically more stable than the downward continuation procedure in the two-step approach.     

Comparison of two approaches for considering laterally varying density in topographic effect on satellite gravity gradiometric data

The satellite gravity gradiometric data are influenced by laterally varying density in topographic masses, while in most of studies a constant density for the masses was considered. This assumption causes an error in estimating the topographic effect. This paper theoretically and numerically investigates the methods of Sjöberg as well as Novák and Grafarend to consider the laterally varying density for topographic masses in formulation of topographic potential in spherical harmonics.     

Parameters of the normal gravity field deduced from satellite observations

Summary The parameters of the normal gravity field were deduced from the harmonic coefficients[3, 4] upto n=6 and compared with the parameters used hitherto. The symbols used are the same as in papers[5, 6, 8] with which this paper connects up.     

基于GRACE KBRR数据的动力积分法反演时变重力场模型

基于动力积分法恢复了一组60阶的时变重力场模型WHU-Grace01s,且在位系数解算过程中仅使用KBRR数据.通过与CSR、GFZ和JPL发布的Release 05模型的阶方差和位系数误差谱对比可知,WHU-Grace01s模型在高阶次部分的阶方差较小,且对轨道共振现象不敏感.将WHU-Grace01s时变重力场模型与CSR、GFZ、JPL、DEOS、Tongji、ITG、AIUB和GRGS等8家机构发布模型通过相同的滤波处理,获得了全球地表质量变化的时空分布,从结果可以看出:各个模型计算的时变信号在空域上分布十分接近,且WHU-Grace01s模型计算的太平洋中心和撒哈拉沙漠区域的质量变化较小;对比几个典型质量变化区域,WHU-Grace01s模型和JPL模型计算的长江流域和珠江流域时变信号呈强相关,其相关系数分别为0.948和0.976,且与上述8个模型计算的两个流域时变信号的相关系数均达到0.9以上;在南极区域和格陵兰岛,WHU-Grace01s模型和其他各个模型均能反映区域冰川质量的积累或消融,且各模型计算获得的长期趋势变化结果相当.研究结果表明,WHU-Grace01s模型和国内外已发布机构模型具有很好的一致性,且受到轨道共振影响较小.     

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.     

Smoothing impact of isostatic crustal thickness models on local integral inversion of satellite gravity gradiometry data

The effects of topographic masses on satellite gradiometric data are large and in order to reduce the magnitude of these effects some compensation mechanisms should be considered. Here we use the isostatic hypotheses of Airy-Heiskanen and the recent Vening Meinesz-Moritz for compensating these effects and to smooth the data prior to their downward continuation to gravity anomaly. The second-order partial derivatives of extended Stokes’ formula are used for the continuations over a topographically rough territory like Persia. The inversions are performed and compared based on two schemes of the remove-compute-restore technique and direct downward continuation. Numerical results show that the topographic-isostatic effect based on Vening Meinesz-Mortiz’s hypothesis smoothes the data better than that based on Airy-Heiskanen’s hypothesis. Also the quality of inversions of the smoothed data by this mechanism is twice better than that of the nonsmoothed ones.     

基于地面重力的卫星重力梯度检校方法

卫星重力梯度仪在轨检校是提高梯度模式重力卫星观测质量的关键.本文面向中国未来梯度模式重力卫星规划任务,研究提出一种基于地面重力的卫星在轨检校方法,该方法顾及卫星设计指标,从地面先验重力数据的精度、空间尺度以及卫星重力梯度仪的观测噪声等卫星检校要素开展分析研究,成功实现地面数据与卫星观测数据的比对检校.研究结果表明,在1...     

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.     

Comparison of satellite and terrestrial gravity data

Summary The integral mean values of gravity on the surface W=W ₀ , obtained from satellite observations with the use of harmonic coefficients[3, 7] and from terrestrial gravity measurements[12], are compared. The squares and products of the harmonic coefficients were neglected, with the exception of [J ₂ ⁽⁰⁾ ] ² , which was taken into account. The Potsdam correction and the geocentric constant are being discussed. The paper ties up with[13–15] and the symbols used are the same. The given problem was treated, e.g., in[2, 4, 6, 8–10]; in the present paper the values of gravity are compared directly.     

利用GOCE和GRACE卫星观测数据确定静态重力场模型

高精度静态卫星重力场模型在全球海洋环流研究、全球/区域数字高程基准面确定等领域有重要应用,本文研究仅利用GOCE卫星和联合GRACE卫星观测数据确定高精度高阶次静态重力场模型.利用GOCE卫星全周期高精度引力梯度分量(V_xx、V_yy、V_zz和V_xz)观测值基于直接最小二乘法构建300阶次的SGG(Satellite Gravity Gradiometry)法方程,并利用卫星跟踪卫星观测值基于点域加速度法构建130阶SST(Satellite-to-Satellite Tracking)法方程,然后利用方差分量估计联合SGG和SST法方程确定300阶次纯GOCE卫星重力场模型GOSG02S.利用全周期GRACE观测数据由动力学方法解算了180阶次的SWPU-GRACE2021S模型,并将其对应法方程与GOCE卫星法方程联合解算了GRACE和GOCE的联合模型WHU-SWPU-GOGR2022S.分别基于XGM2019模型和GPS水准数据对本文解算的三个模型GOSG02S、SWPU-GRACE2021S和WHU-SWPU-GOGR2022S在频域和空域进行了精度分析,结果表明,GOSG02S和WHU-SWPU-GOGR2022S模型与GO_CONS_GCF_2_DIR_R6、GO_CONS_GCF_2_TIM_R6、GO_CONS_GCF_2_SPW_R5、GOCO06s和Tongji-GMMG2021S等使用了GOCE卫星全周期数据的模型精度相当,精度差异基本都在毫米量级;SWPU-GRACE2021S模型在160阶次之前与国际主流GRACE卫星重力场模型ITSG-Grace2018s和Tongji-Grace02s精度相当.

     

Derivation of the CHAMP-only global gravity field model TUG-CHAMP04 applying the energy integral approach

A global gravity field model TUG-CHAMP04, derived from CHAMP (CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload) satellite-to-satellite GPS tracking observations in the high-low mode (SST-hl) in combination with CHAMP accelerometry, is presented and described in detail in this paper. For this purpose the energy integral approach was applied to precise kinematic orbits and accelerometer data. The advantage of these kinds of orbits is that they are derived from purely geometrical information, hence no external gravity field information is used for the determination of the positions. The disadvantage of precise kinematic orbit information is, that no velocities are delivered and hence a procedure has to be elaborated to deduce the velocities from kinematic positions. This work is done in preparation for ESA’s GOCE (Gravity field and steady state Ocean Circulation Explorer) satellite mission (scheduled launch November 2006), aiming at a high precision and high-resolution gravity field model on a global scale. This paper concentrates on the CHAMP data processing, where, in contrast to the usual standard method (processing in the Earth fixed frame), an approach in the inertial frame is chosen. Focus is taken on the data preprocessing of both accelerometer and orbit data, emphasising on the correct treatment of data-gaps and outlier detection. Furthermore an arc-wise weighting strategy is introduced and the advantages/disadvantages of this approach are discussed. Finally, the TUG-CHAMP04 model, calculated from one year of CHAMP data is compared with the official CHAMP gravity field model EIGEN-3p and terrestrial data (GPS levelling data).     

顾及多方向观测值权比反演地球重力场的动力积分法

考虑到不同坐标系下各个方向观测值对反演地球重力场的频谱贡献不同,建立了顾及多方向观测值权比的动力积分法,并利用该方法反演了高精度的GOCE HL-SST卫星重力场模型.首先,分析了不同坐标系下各个方向观测值与地球重力场信息的响应关系,其中惯性系(IRF)下X、Z方向的观测值分别对扇谐系数、带谐系数最为敏感,Z方向的解算精度在全频段均略高于X、Y方向;地固系(EFRF)下各个方向的独立解算精度均与能量守恒法的解算精度相当;局部指北坐标系(LNOF)下X、Z和Y三个方向的解算精度依次递减,且Y方向在47阶附近有明显"驼峰"现象.其次,比较了不同坐标系下顾及三个方向观测值权比的加权解算模型,其中加权联合解算模型精度在20至70阶次均明显优于等权解算模型,在带谐项和共振阶次精度提升明显,且LNOF下的加权联合解算精度要优于IRF和EFRF.最后,比较了GOCE和CHAMP卫星的模型解算精度,采用本文计算方法,仅利用2个月GOCE轨道观测值解算的模型精度优于包含更长观测时段信息的AIUB-CHAMP01S和EIGEN-CHAMP03S模型,且略优于ASU-GOCE-2months模型.     

Fundamental geodetic parameters of the earth's figure and the structure of the earth's gravity field derived from satellite data

Summary Using the geocentric constant GM=398 601.3 × 10 ⁹ m ³s ^–2 , the known value of the angular velocity of the Earth's rotation , Stokes' constants J _n ^(k) and S _n ^(k) upto n=21 (zonal), n=16 (tesseral and sectorial) [2], the geocentric co-ordinates and heights above sea-level of SAO satellite stations [2], the following will be derived: the potential on the geoid W_o, the scale factor for lengths R_o=GM/W_o, the radius-vector of the surface W=W_o, the parameters of the best-fitting Earth tri-axial ellipsoid, and the components of the deflections of the vertical with respect to the geocentric rotational IAG ellipsoid (Lucerne 1967), as well as to the best-fitting geocentric tri-axial ellipsoid. Some of the differences in the structure of the gravity field over the Northern and Southern Hemispheres will be given, and the mean values of gravity over the equatorial zone, determined from the dynamics of satellite orbits, on the one hand, and from terrestrial gravity data, on the other, will be compared.Presented at the Fifteenth IUGG General Assembly, Moscow, July 30 — August 14, 1971.     

Low-degree gravity change from GPS data of COSMIC and GRACE satellite missions

This paper demonstrates estimation of time-varying gravity harmonic coefficients from GPS data of COSMIC and GRACE satellite missions. The kinematic orbits of COSMIC and GRACE are determined to the cm-level accuracy. The NASA Goddard's GEODYN II software is used to model the orbit dynamics of COSMIC and GRACE, including the effect of a static gravity field. The surface forces are estimated per one orbital period. Residual orbits generated from kinematic and reference orbits serve as observables to determine the harmonic coefficients in the weighted-constraint least-squares. The monthly COSMIC and GRACE GPS data from September 2006 to December 2007 (16 months) are processed to estimate harmonic coefficients to degree 5. The geoid variations from the GPS and CSR RL04 (GRACE) solutions show consistent patterns over space and time, especially in regions of active hydrological changes. The monthly GPS-derived second zonal coefficient closely resembles the SLR-derived and CSR RL04 values, and third and fourth zonal coefficients resemble the CSR RL04 values.     

Direct BEM for high-resolution global gravity field modelling

The paper presents a high-resolution global gravity field modelling by the boundary element method (BEM). A direct BEM formulation for the Laplace equation is applied to get a numerical solution of the linearized fixed gravimetric boundary-value problem. The numerical scheme uses the collocation method with linear basis functions. It involves a discretization of the complicated Earth’s surface, which is considered as a fixed boundary. Here 3D positions of collocation points are simulated from the DNSC08 mean sea surface at oceans and from the SRTM30PLUS_V5.0 global topography model added to EGM96 on lands. High-performance computations together with an elimination of the far zones’ interactions allow a very refined integration over the all Earth’s surface with a resolution up to 0.1 deg. Inaccuracy of the approximate coarse solutions used for the elimination of the far zones’ interactions leads to a long-wavelength error surface included in the obtained numerical solution. This paper introduces an iterative procedure how to reduce such long-wavelength error surface. Surface gravity disturbances as oblique derivative boundary conditions are generated from the EGM2008 geopotential model. Numerical experiments demonstrate how the iterative procedure tends to the final numerical solutions that are converging to EGM2008. Finally the input surface gravity disturbances at oceans are replaced by real data obtained from the DNSC08 altimetryderived gravity data. The ITG-GRACE03S satellite geopotential model up to degree 180 is used to eliminate far zones’ interactions. The final high-resolution global gravity field model with the resolution 0.1 deg is compared with EGM2008.     

A comparison of satellite systems for gravity field measurements

A detailed and accurate Earth gravity field model is important both to geophysical progress and to the precise tracking necessary for interpretation of geophysical experiments. Various satellite techniques which may be used to determine the Earth's gravity field are compared and their ability to recover the long wavelength and short wavelength features of the field are described.A high-low configuration satellite-to-satellite tracking mission is recommended for the determination of the long wavelength portion of the gravity field. Satellite altimetry and satellite gradiometry experiments are recommended for determination of the short wavelength portion of the gravity field.     

On computation of second derivatives from gravity data

Summary Second derivative formulae ofElkins andRosenbach are developed from a unified approach and their merits and demerits are discussed. Some new formulae are suggested, which, from theoretical considerations it is felt, will prove more efficient.     

新一代GRACE重力卫星反演地球重力场的预期精度

基于低低卫卫跟踪模式,本文主要探讨利用动力学法融合精密轨道数据和星间测距或距离变率数据求解地球重力场的基本原理与方法,该方法既可对两颗低低跟踪卫星的初始状态误差进行有效校正,也可充分利用低轨卫星轨道所包含的低频重力场信息.为探讨适合我国国情的低低跟踪模式下的重力卫星指标,本文以不同星载设备精度指标的组合进行模拟计算,模拟结果显示:(1)把GRACE卫星的星间距离变率指标提高一个量级,其余指标保持与GRACE卫星设计指标一致时,可使地球重力场的精度获得同量级的提高;(2)若星间距离变率为1.0×10-8 m·s-1,轨道高度为300 km,加速度计精度为3.0×10-10 m·s-2,轨道精度为0.03 m, 星间距离100 km,与利用GRACE的设计指标反演出的重力场精度相比,可提高约121倍,并建议我国未来低低跟踪重力卫星计划参考此指标.