A technique for modeling the Earth’s gravity field on the basis of satellite accelerations

A technique is proposed for Earths gravity field modeling on the basis of satellite accelerations that are derived from precise orbit data. The functional model rests on Newtons second law. The computational procedure is based on the pre-conditioned conjugate-gradient (PCCG) method. The data are treated as weighted average accelerations rather than as point-wise ones. As a result, a simple three-point numerical differentiation scheme can be used to derive them. Noise in the orbit-derived accelerations is strongly dependent on frequency. Therefore, the key element of the proposed technique is frequency-dependent data weighting. Fast convergence of the PCCG procedure is ensured by a block-diagonal pre-conditioner (approximation of the normal matrix), which is derived under the so-called Colombo assumptions. Both uninterrupted data sets and data with gaps can be handled. The developed technique is compared with other approaches: (1) the energy balance approach (based on the energy conservation law) and (2) the traditional approach (based on the integration of variational equations). Theoretical considerations, supported by a numerical study, show that the proposed technique is more accurate than the energy balance approach and leads to approximately the same results as the traditional one. The former finding is explained by the fact that the energy balance approach is only sensitive to the along-track force component. Information about the cross-track and the radial component of the gravitational potential gradient is lost because the corresponding force components do no work and do not contribute to the energy balance. Furthermore, it is shown that the proposed technique is much (possibly, orders of magnitude) faster than the traditional one because it does not require the computation of the normal matrix. Hints are given on how the proposed technique can be adapted to the explicit assembling of the normal matrix if the latter is needed for the computation of the model covariance matrix.Acknowledgments. Professor R. Klees is thanked for support of the project and for numerous fruitful discussions. The authors are also thankful to Dr. J. Kusche for useful remarks and to Dr. E. Schrama, his solid background in satellite geodesy proved to be very helpful. A large number of valuable comments were made by Dr. S.-C. Han, Dr. P. Schwintzer, and an anonymous reviewer; their contribution is greatly acknowledged. The satellite orbits used in the numerical study were kindly provided by Dr. P. Visser (Aerospace Department, Delft University of Technology). Access to the SGI Origin 3800 computer was provided by Stichting Nationale Computerfaciliteiten (NCF), grant SG-027.     

利用GOCE卫星观测数据反演地球重力场模型

利用GOCE卫星约6个月的重力梯度数据和约1 a的几何轨道数据,联合解算250阶次的地球重力场模型TJGOCE01。GOCE重力梯度数据的低频误差采用ⅡR数字滤波器处理,粗差采用阀值法和移动窗口阀值法组合探测与剔除。直接在梯度仪坐标系中建立GOCE卫星的重力梯度观测方程,采用改进的短弧边值法建立几何轨道观测方程。两类观测值的权根据其先验精度确定,采用Kaula规则约束的正则化方法解算法方程。解算的TJGOCE01模型相对于EIGEN6C2模型在250阶次的大地水准面误差和大地水准面累积误差分别为19.4 mm和177.9 mm。北美地区GPS水准观测数据的检验结果表明,TJGOCE01模型的中误差为0.544 m,略优于欧空局公布的同阶次的第二代时域法和空域法解算的GOCE重力场模型。     

High-harmonic geoid signatures related to glacial isostatic adjustment and their detectability by GOCE

The Earth’s asthenosphere and lower continental crust can regionally have viscosities that are one to several orders of magnitude smaller than typical mantle viscosities. As a consequence, such shallow low-viscosity layers could induce high-harmonic (spherical harmonics 50–200) gravity and geoid anomalies due to remaining isostasy deviations following Late-Pleistocene glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA). Such high-harmonic geoid and gravity signatures would depend also on the detailed ice and meltwater loading distribution and history.ESA’s Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite mission, planned for launch in Summer 2008, is designed to map the quasi-static geoid with centimeter accuracy and gravity anomalies with milligal accuracy at a resolution of 100 km or better. This might offer the possibility of detecting gravity and geoid effects of low-viscosity shallow earth layers and differences of the effects of various Pleistocene ice decay scenarios. For example, our predictions show that for a typical low-viscosity crustal zone GOCE should be able to discern differences between ice-load histories down to length scales of about 150 km.One of the major challenges in interpreting such high-harmonic, regional-scale, geoid signatures in GOCE solutions will be to discriminate GIA-signatures from various other solid-earth contributions. It might be of help here that the high-harmonic geoid and gravity signatures form quite characteristic 2D patterns, depending on both ice load and low-viscosity zone model parameters.     

GOCE+EGM08+RTM组合模型计算高程异常

针对EGM08重力场模型构建过程中存在的不足,提出用GOCE重力场模型替换EGM08模型的中低频部分,用剩余地形模型RTM拓展EGM08模型的甚高频信号。模拟分析表明,GOCE模型能大幅提高高程异常计算的精度,而RTM对高程异常的贡献也不可忽视。实测GPS/水准数据表明,GOCE模型对高程异常的贡献达到43%,而RTM也贡献了1cm的精度。     

基于时空域混合法利用Kaula正则化精确和快速解算GOCE地球重力场

为了研究卫星重力梯度技术对中高频地球重力场反演精度的影响,本文基于时空域混合法,利用Kaula正则化反演了250阶GOCE地球重力场.模拟结果表明:第一,时空域混合法是精确和快速求解高阶地球重力场的有效方法;第二,Kaula正则化是降低正规阵病态性的重要方法;第三,基于改进的预处理共轭梯度迭代法可快速求解大型线性方程组...     

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顾及地球扁率影响的球面边值问题的求解公式.针对GOCE卫星任务非全张量观测数据类型,分析了张量不变量的计算误差;结果表明,重力梯度观测误差在不变量的计算中并没有被放大.最后运用广义轮胎调和分析方法进行了模拟试验,数值试验证明,在卫星姿态误差较大时,处理张量不变量比处理张量分量更具优势,并且张量不变量法能有效地解决非全张量观测的问题.     

Study on Recovering the Earth＇s Potential Field Based on GOCE Gradiometry

Given the second radial derivative Vrr（P） ｜δs of the Earth＇s gravitational potential V（P） on the surface δS corresponding to the satellite altitude, by using the fictitious compress recovery method, a fictitious regular harmonic field rrVrr（P）^＊ and a fictitious second radial gradient field V：（P） in the domain outside an inner sphere Ki can be determined, which coincides with the real field V（P） in the domain outside the Earth. Vrr^＊（P）could be further expressed as a uniformly convergent expansion series in the domain outside the inner sphere, because rrV（P）^＊ could be expressed as a uniformly convergent spherical harmonic expansion series due to its regularity and harmony in that domain. In another aspect, the fictitious field V^＊（P） defined in the domain outside the inner sphere, which coincides with the real field V（P） in the domain outside the Earth, could be also expressed as a spherical harmonic expansion series. Then, the harmonic coefficients contained in the series expressing V^＊（P） can be determined, and consequently the real field V（P） is recovered. Preliminary simulation calculations show that the second radial gradient field Vrr（P） could be recovered based only on the second radial derivative V（P）｜δs given on the satellite boundary. Concerning the final recovery of the potential field V（P） based only on the boundary value Vrr （P）｜δs, the simulation tests are still in process.     

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.

     

A parametric study on the impact of satellite attitude errors on GOCE gravity field recovery

In the recent design of the Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite mission, the gravity gradients are defined in the gradiometer reference frame (GRF), which deviates from the actual flight direction (local orbit reference frame, LORF) by up to 3–4°. The main objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of uncertainties in the knowledge of the gradiometer orientation due to attitude reconstitution errors on the gravity field solution. In the framework of several numerical simulations, which are based on a realistic mission configuration, different scenarios are investigated, to provide the accuracy requirements of the orientation information. It turns out that orientation errors have to be seriously considered, because they may represent a significant error component of the gravity field solution. While in a realistic mission scenario (colored gradiometer noise) the gravity field solutions are quite insensitive to small orientation biases, random noise applied to the attitude information can have a considerable impact on the accuracy of the resolved gravity field models.     

Calibrating the GOCE accelerations with star sensor data and a global gravity field model

A reliable and accurate gradiometer calibration is essential for the scientific return of the gravity field and steady-state ocean circulation explorer (GOCE) mission. This paper describes a new method for external calibration of the GOCE gradiometer accelerations. A global gravity field model in combination with star sensor quaternions is used to compute reference differential accelerations, which may be used to estimate various combinations of gradiometer scale factors, internal gradiometer misalignments and misalignments between star sensor and gradiometer. In many aspects, the new method is complementary to the GOCE in-flight calibration. In contrast to the in-flight calibration, which requires a satellite-shaking phase, the new method uses data from the nominal measurement phases. The results of a simulation study show that gradiometer scale factors can be estimated on a weekly basis with accuracies better than 2 × 10⁻³ for the ultrasensitive and 10⁻² for the less sensitive axes, which is compatible with the requirements of the gravity gradient error. Based on a 58-day data set, scale factors are found that can reduce the errors of the in-flight-calibrated measurements. The elements of the complete inverse calibration matrix, representing both the internal gradiometer misalignments and scale factors, can be estimated with accuracies in general better than 10⁻³.