Outlier detection algorithms and their performance in GOCE gravity field processing

The satellite missions CHAMP, GRACE, and GOCE mark the beginning of a new era in gravity field determination and modeling. They provide unique models of the global stationary gravity field and its variation in time. Due to inevitable measurement errors, sophisticated pre-processing steps have to be applied before further use of the satellite measurements. In the framework of the GOCE mission, this includes outlier detection, absolute calibration and validation of the SGG (satellite gravity gradiometry) measurements, and removal of temporal effects. In general, outliers are defined as observations that appear to be inconsistent with the remainder of the data set. One goal is to evaluate the effect of additive, innovative and bulk outliers on the estimates of the spherical harmonic coefficients. It can be shown that even a small number of undetected outliers (<0.2 of all data points) can have an adverse effect on the coefficient estimates. Consequently, concepts for the identification and removal of outliers have to be developed. Novel outlier detection algorithms are derived and statistical methods are presented that may be used for this purpose. The methods aim at high outlier identification rates as well as small failure rates. A combined algorithm, based on wavelets and a statistical method, shows best performance with an identification rate of about 99%. To further reduce the influence of undetected outliers, an outlier detection algorithm is implemented inside the gravity field solver (the Quick-Look Gravity Field Analysis tool was used). This results in spherical harmonic coefficient estimates that are of similar quality to those obtained without outliers in the input data.     

GGM02 – An improved Earth gravity field model from GRACE

A new generation of Earth gravity field models called GGM02 are derived using approximately 14 months of data spanning from April 2002 to December 2003 from the Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE). Relative to the preceding generation, GGM01, there have been improvements to the data products, the gravity estimation methods and the background models. Based on the calibrated covariances, GGM02 (both the GRACE-only model GGM02S and the combination model GGM02C) represents an improvement greater than a factor of two over the previous GGM01 models. Error estimates indicate a cumulative error less than 1 cm geoid height to spherical harmonic degree 70, which can be said to have met the GRACE minimum mission goals. Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at     

Investigating the propagation mechanism of unmodelled systematic errors on coordinate time series estimated using least squares

The propagation of unmodelled systematic errors into coordinate time series computed using least squares is investigated, to improve the understanding of unexplained signals and apparent noise in geodetic (especially GPS) coordinate time series. Such coordinate time series are invariably based on a functional model linearised using only zero and first-order terms of a (Taylor) series expansion about the approximate coordinates of the unknown point. The effect of such truncation errors is investigated through the derivation of a generalised systematic error model for the simple case of range observations from a single known reference point to a point which is assumed to be at rest by the least squares model but is in fact in motion. The systematic error function for a one pseudo-satellite two-dimensional case, designed to be as simple but as analogous to GPS positioning as possible, is quantified. It is shown that the combination of a moving reference point and unmodelled periodic displacement at the unknown point of interest, due to ocean tide loading, for example, results in an output coordinate time series containing many periodic terms when only zero and first-order expansion terms are used in the linearisation of the functional model. The amplitude, phase and period of these terms is dependent on the input amplitude, the locations of the unknown point and reference point, and the period of the reference point's motion. The dominant output signals that arise due to truncation errors match those found in coordinate time series obtained from both simulated data and real three-dimensional GPS data.     

Digital topography models for Martian surfaces

We propose to use an unsupervised automated classification of topographic features on Mars in order to speed up geomorphic and geologic mapping of the planet. We construct a digital topography model (DTM), a multilayer grid that stores various kinds of topographical information for every pixel in a site. The method uses a probabilistic clustering algorithm to assign topographically meaningful labels to all pixels in the DTM. The results are displayed as a thematic map of topography. Resultant topographical features are characterized and compared using statistics of their constituent pixels. We demonstrate the usage of our method by classifying and characterizing the topography of a landscape in the Tisia Valles region on Mars. We discuss extensions and further applications of our method.     

Analysis of geophysical networks derived from multiscale digital elevation models: a morphological approach

We provide a simple and elegant framework based on morphological transformations to generate multiscale digital elevation models (DEMs) and to extract topologically significant multiscale geophysical networks. These terrain features at multiple scales are collectively useful in deriving scaling laws, which exhibit several significant terrain characteristics. We present results derived from a part of Cameron Highlands DEM.     

人造热带气旋垂直结构问题初探

在人造热带气旋中引入了倾斜垂直结构，并将其用于西折后9806号热带气旋登陆路径的数值模拟。结果表明：应用该方案所得到的模拟结果优于应用正压结构的人造热带气旋方案的模拟结果要准确。因此，此类热带气旋的预报中，其初始涡旋可采用倾斜垂直结构，从而提出改进热带气旋初始涡旋的一种新思路。若对其作进一步研究、推广，则具有广阔的业务应用前景。     

雨量器(计)安装不水平造成的测量误差分析及对策

降水量是气象台站重要观测项目之一。目前，大部分基层台站用于降水量观测的仪器主要靠雨量器、翻斗式遥测雨量计和虹吸式雨量计３种。《地面气象观测规范》规定：雨量器在安装和使用过程中都必须水平，以保证所测降水数据的准确性。但在实际工作中，由于各种原因往往会使器口倾斜。尤其是雨量器结构粗糙且每次观测都要取下承水器，稍不注意就会发生倾斜。那么雨量仪器安装不水平对测量水有何影响呢？大部分观测员都认为会比实际雨量偏小，其实不尽然。本文试图通过对不同降水情况下的误差进行分析，同时提供一些消除误差的方法供参考。为了…     

用逐步回归预测棉铃虫发生期和发生量

收集了1973年至2000年的气象，农作物、棉铃虫虫害等196年因子，以运城、汾阳和临汾为山西省代表站，利用最优二分割法把发生量分为10级，5级和不分级3种情况；使用逐步回归计算了219个模型，从中选出27个棉铃虫二、三代发生期，发生量最优模型，在农气服务中应用，预报准确率为95％，效果良好。     

反扩散格式在二维锋生数值模拟中的应用

把无粘流中能成功捕捉接触间断的反扩散差分格式，用在了准地转二维理想锋生的数值模拟中，并将计算结果与Cullen的计算结果和半地转方程的精确解进行了比较。用反扩散格式模拟的锋面较Cullen的结果更加显，而且更接近半地转方程的精确解。