A comparison of different mass elements for use in gravity gradiometry

Topographic and isostatic mass anomalies affect the external gravity field of the Earth. Therefore, these effects also exist in the gravity gradients observed, e.g., by the satellite gravity gradiometry mission GOCE (Gravity and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Experiment). The downward continuation of the gravitational signals is rather difficult because of the high-frequency behaviour of the combined topographic and isostatic effects. Thus, it is preferable to smooth the gravity field by some topographic-isostatic reduction. In this paper the focus is on the modelling of masses in the space domain, which can be subdivided into different mass elements and evaluated with analytical, semi-analytical and numerical methods. Five alternative mass elements are reviewed and discussed: the tesseroid, the point mass, the prism, the mass layer and the mass line. The formulae for the potential, the attraction components and the Marussi tensor of second-order potential derivatives are provided. The formulae for different mass elements and computation methods are checked by assuming a synthetic topography of constant height over a spherical cap and the position of the computation point on the polar axis. For this special situation an exact analytical solution for the tesseroid exists and a comparison between the analytical solution of a spherical cap and the modelling of different mass elements is possible. A comparison of the computation times shows that modelling by tesseroids with different methods produces the most accurate results in an acceptable computation time. As a numerical example, the Marussi tensor of the topographic effect is computed globally using tesseroids calculated by Gauss–Legendre cubature (3D) on the basis of a digital height model. The order of magnitude in the radial-radial component is about  ± 8 E.U. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Length-of-day and space-geodetic determination of the Earth’s variable gravity field

The temporal variations of the Earth’s gravity field, nowadays routinely determined from satellite laser ranging (SLR) and GRACE (Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment), are related to changes in the Earth’s rotation rate through the Earth’s inertia tensor. We study this connection from actual data by comparing the traditional length-of-day (LOD) measurements provided by the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) to the variations of the degree-2 and order-0 Stokes coefficient of the gravity field determined from fitting the orbits of the LAGEOS-1 and −2 satellites since 1985. The two series show a good correlation (0.62) and similar annual and semi-annual signals, indicating that the gravity-field-derived LOD is valuable. Our analysis also provides evidence for additional signals common to both series, especially at a period near 120 days, which could be due to hydrological effects.     

Satellite sensor modeling and 3D geo-positioning using empirical models

The need for the use of general empirical mathematical models for satellite sensor modeling and 3D geo-positioning has increased recently, mainly because of the absence of the satellite sensor information of some of the high-resolution satellites. In addition, empirical mathematical models can be applied to different satellite sensors since they are time independent mathematical models and do not require specialized commercial software packages. This paper discusses the applicability of the empirical mathematical models presented by the 3D affine model and the 3D polynomial models for satellite sensor modeling and 3D geo-positioning. The objectives of the paper are to demonstrate that (a) the 3D affine model and its modifications of the 3D polynomial models are applicable to different satellite sensors and different types of terrain, and (b) under some conditions, the empirical models can produce accuracies close to those from rigorous mathematical models.     

中国近海海面高度异常资料再处理

卫星海面高度异常产品再处理的研究多集中在欧洲和美国近海,中国近海尚未有过。在产生AVISO(Archiving Validation and Interpolation of Satellite Oceanographic Data)全球0.25°多颗卫星海面高度异常产品时,只用了1/3~1/2的部分沿轨资料,给区域海洋动力学研究造成了一定的限制。本研究尝试利用多颗卫星的所有沿轨资料及25个测潮站的观测资料,通过最优插值方法产生一份新的中国近海海面高度异常资料。新资料的空间分辨率仍为0.25°,但使用了来自3颗卫星(Jason-1、Jason-2、Cryo Sat-2)的所有沿轨资料及25个测潮站的观测资料。新资料的范围为10°S~50°N、90°~160°E。新资料与AVISO资料的对比分析表明新资料更接近沿轨海面高度异常观测,同时也更接近测潮站资料。与AVISO资料相比,新资料与沿轨海面高度异常观测的均方根误差降低了10.03%,与测潮站资料的均方根误差降低了9.6%。     

A GPP assimilation model for the southeastern Tibetan Plateau based on CO2 eddy covariance flux tower and remote sensing data

The gross primary production (GPP) at individual CO₂ eddy covariance flux tower sites (GPP_Tower) in Dali (DL), Wenjiang (WJ) and Linzhi (LZ) around the southeastern Tibetan Plateau were determined by the net ecosystem exchange of CO₂ (NEE) and ecosystem respiration (R_e). The satellite remote sensing-VPM model estimates of GPP values (GPP_MODIS) used the satellite-derived 8-day surface reflectance product (MOD09A1), including satellite-derived enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and land surface water index (LSWI). In this paper, we assembled a subset of flux tower data at these three sites to calibrate and test satellite-VPM model estimated GPP_MODIS, and introduced the satellite data and site-level environmental factors to develop four new assimilation models. The new assimilation models’ estimates of GPP values were compared with GPP_MODIS and GPP_Tower, and the final optimum model among the four assimilation models was determined and used to calibrate GPP_MODIS. The results showed that GPP_MODIS had similar temporal variations to the GPP_Tower, but GPP_MODlS were commonly higher in absolute magnitude than GPP_Tower with relative error (RE) about 58.85%. While, the assimilation models’ estimates of GPP values (GPP_MODEL) were much more closer to GPP_Tower with RE approximately 6.98%, indicating that the capacity of the simulation in the new assimilation model was greatly improved, the R² and root mean square error (RMSE) of the new assimilation model were 0.57–4.90% higher and 0.74–2.47 g C m⁻² s⁻¹ lower than those of the GPP_MODIS, respectively. The assimilation model was used to predicted GPP dynamics around the Tibetan Plateau and showed a reliable result compared with other researches. This study demonstrated the potential of the new assimilation model for estimating GPP around the Tibetan Plateau and the performances of site-level biophysical parameters in related to satellite-VPM model GPP.     

Exterior orientation of CBERS-2B imagery using multi-feature control and orbital data

The major contribution of this paper relates to the practical advantages of combining Ground Control Points (GCPs), Ground Control Lines (GCLs) and orbital data to estimate the exterior orientation parameters of images collected by CBERS-2B (China–Brazil Earth Resources Satellite) HRC (High-resolution Camera) and CCD (High-resolution CCD Camera) sensors. Although the CBERS-2B is no longer operational, its images are still being used in Brazil, and the next generations of the CBERS satellite will have sensors with similar technical features, which motivates the study presented in this paper. The mathematical models that relate the object and image spaces are based on collinearity (for points) and coplanarity (for lines) conditions. These models were created in an in-house developed software package called TMS (Triangulation with Multiple Sensors) with multi-feature control (GCPs and GCLs). Experiments on a block of four CBERS-2B HRC images and on one CBERS-2B CCD image were performed using both models. It was observed that the combination of GCPs and GCLs provided better bundle block adjustment results than conventional bundle adjustment using only GCPs. The results also demonstrate the advantages of using primarily orbital data when the number of control entities is reduced.     

卫星导航在无人机着陆引导中的应用

针对无人机自主着陆引导的需求,简要介绍了国外无人机着陆引导技术现状与发展趋势,阐述了无人机卫星导航着陆系统的基本组成和工作原理,分析了无人机卫星导航着陆引导技术体制,提出了无人机卫星导航着陆引导系统的发展设想,支撑我国无人机卫星导航着陆引导技术研究和系统建设。     

Distributions of H2O and CO2 ices on Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon from IRTF/SpeX observations

We present 0.8-2.4 μm spectral observations of uranian satellites, obtained at IRTF/SpeX on 17 nights during 2001-2005. The spectra reveal for the first time the presence of CO₂ ice on the surfaces of Umbriel and Titania, by means of 3 narrow absorption bands near 2 μm. Several additional, weaker CO₂ ice absorptions have also been detected. No CO₂ absorption is seen in Oberon spectra, and the strengths of the CO₂ ice bands decline with planetocentric distance from Ariel through Titania. We use the CO₂ absorptions to map the longitudinal distribution of CO₂ ice on Ariel, Umbriel, and Titania, showing that it is most abundant on their trailing hemispheres. We also examine H₂O ice absorptions in the spectra, finding deeper H₂O bands on the leading hemispheres of Ariel, Umbriel, and Titania, but the opposite pattern on Oberon. Potential mechanisms to produce the observed longitudinal and planetocentric distributions of the two ices are considered.     

Geologic mapping of the Amirani-Gish Bar region of Io: Implications for the global geologic mapping of Io

We produced the first geologic map of the Amirani-Gish Bar region of Io, the last of four regional maps generated from Galileo mission data. The Amirani-Gish Bar region has five primary types of geologic materials: plains, mountains, patera floors, flows, and diffuse deposits. The flows and patera floors are thought to be compositionally similar, but are subdivided based on interpretations regarding their emplacement environments and mechanisms. Our mapping shows that volcanic activity in the Amirani-Gish Bar region is dominated by the Amirani Eruptive Center (AEC), now recognized to be part of an extensive, combined Amirani-Maui flow field. A mappable flow connects Amirani and Maui, suggesting that Maui is fed from Amirani, such that the post-Voyager designation “Maui Eruptive Center” should be revised. Amirani contains at least four hot spots detected by Galileo, and is the source of widespread bright (sulfur?) flows and active dark (silicate?) flows being emplaced in the Promethean style (slowly emplaced, compound flow fields). The floor of Gish Bar Patera has been partially resurfaced by dark lava flows, although other parts of its floor are bright and appeared unchanged during the Galileo mission. This suggests that the floor did not undergo complete resurfacing as a lava lake as proposed for other ionian paterae. There are several other hot spots in the region that are the sources of both active dark flows (confined within paterae), and SO₂- and S₂-rich diffuse deposits. Mapped diffuse deposits around fractures on mountains and in the plains appear to serve as the source for gas venting without the release of magma, an association previously unrecognized in this region. The six mountains mapped in this region exhibit various states of degradation. In addition to gaining insight into this region of Io, all four maps are studied to assess the best methodology to use to produce a new global geologic map of Io based on the newly released, combined Galileo-Voyager global mosaics. To convey the complexity of ionian surface geology, we find that a new global geologic map of Io should include a map sheet displaying the global abundances and types of surface features as well as a complementary GIS database as a means to catalog the record of surface changes observed since the Voyager flybys and during the Galileo mission.     

Photometric survey of the irregular satellites

We present BVRI colors of 13 jovian and 8 saturnian irregular satellites obtained with the 2.56 m Nordic Optical Telescope on La Palma, the 6.5 m Magellan Baade Telescope on La Campanas, and the 6.5 m MMT on Mt. Hopkins. The observations were performed from December 2001 to March 2002. The colors of the irregular satellites vary from grey to light red. We have arbitrarily divided the known irregular satellites into two classes based on their colors. One, the grey color class, has similar colors to the C-type asteroids, and the other, the light red color class, has colors similar to P/D-type asteroids. We also find at least one object, the jovian irregular J XXIII Kalyke, that has colors similar to the red colored Centaurs/TNOs, although its classification is insecure. We find that there is a correlation between the physical properties and dynamical properties of the irregular satellites. Most of the dynamical clusters have homogeneous colors, which points to single homogeneous progenitors being cratered or fragmented as the source of each individual cluster. The heterogeneously colored clusters are most easily explained by assuming that there are several dynamical clusters in the area, rather than just one, or that the parent body was a differentiated, heterogeneous body. By analyzing simple cratering/fragmentation scenarios, we show that the heterogeneous colored S IX Phoebe cluster, is most likely two different clusters, a grey colored cluster centered on S IX Phoebe and a light red colored cluster centered on S/2000 S 1. To which of these two clusters the remaining saturnian irregulars with inclinations close to 174° belong is not clear from our analysis, but determination of their colors should help constrain this. We also show through analysis of possible fragmentation and dispersion of the six known uranian irregulars that they most likely make up two clusters, one centered on U XVI Caliban and another centered on U XVII Sycorax. We further show that, although the two objects have similar colors, a catastrophic fragmentation event creating one cluster containing both U XVI Caliban and U XVII Sycorax would have involved a progenitor with a diameter of ∼395 km. While such an event is not impossible it seems rather improbable, and we further show that such an event would leave 5-6 fragments with sizes comparable to or larger than U XVI Caliban. The stable region around Uranus has been extensively searched to limiting magnitudes far beyond that of U XVI Caliban. The fact that only U XVI Caliban, the larger U XVII Sycorax and four much smaller objects have been found leaves us with a distribution not compatible with a catastrophic event with such a large progenitor. The most likely solution is therefore two separate events creating two uranian dynamical clusters.