Short-arc analysis of intersatellite tracking data in a gravity mapping mission

 A technique for the analysis of low–low intersatellite range-rate data in a gravity mapping mission is explored. The technique is based on standard tracking data analysis for orbit determination but uses a spherical coordinate representation of the 12 epoch state parameters describing the baseline between the two satellites. This representation of the state parameters is exploited to allow the intersatellite range-rate analysis to benefit from information provided by other tracking data types without large simultaneous multiple-data-type solutions. The technique appears especially valuable for estimating gravity from short arcs (e.g. less than 15 minutes) of data. Gravity recovery simulations which use short arcs are compared with those using arcs a day in length. For a high-inclination orbit, the short-arc analysis recovers low-order gravity coefficients remarkably well, although higher-order terms, especially sectorial terms, are less accurate. Simulations suggest that either long or short arcs of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) data are likely to improve parts of the geopotential spectrum by orders of magnitude. Received: 26 June 2001 / Accepted: 21 January 2002     

Evaluation and validation of mascon recovery using GRACE KBRR data with independent mass flux estimates in the Mississippi Basin

The direct recovery of surface mass anomalies using GRACE KBRR data processed in regional solutions provides mass variation estimates with 10-day temporal resolution. The approach undertaken herein uses a tailored orbit estimation strategy based solely on the KBRR data and directly estimates mass anomalies from the GRACE data. We introduce a set of temporal and spatial correlation constraints to enable high resolution mass flux estimates. The Mississippi Basin, with its well understood surface hydrological modelling available from the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS), which uses advanced land surface modeling and data assimilation techniques, and a wealth of groundwater data, provides an opportunity to quantitatively compare GRACE estimates of the mass flux in the entire hydrological column with those available from independent and reliable sources. Evaluating GRACE’s performance is dependent on the accuracy ascribed to the hydrological information, which in and of itself is a complex challenge (Rodell in Hydrogeol J, doi:, 2007). Nevertheless, the Mississippi Basin is one of the few regions having a large hydrological signal that can support a meaningful GRACE comparison on the spatial scale resolved by GRACE. The isolation of the hydrological signal is dependent on the adequacy of the forward mass flux modeling for tides and atmospheric pressure variations. While these models have non-uniform global performance they are excellent in the Mississippi Basin. Through comparisons with the independent hydrology, we evaluate the effect on the solution of changing correlation times and distances in the constraints, altering the parameter recovery for areas external to the Mississippi Basin, and changing the relative strength of the constraints with respect to the KBRR data. The accuracy and stability of the mascon solutions are thereby assessed, especially with regard to the constraints used to stabilize the solution. We show that the mass anomalies, as represented by surface layer of water within regional cells have accuracy estimates of ±2–3 cm on par with the best hydrological estimates and consistent with our accuracy estimates for GRACE mass anomaly estimates. These solutions are shown to be very stable, especially for the recovery of semi-annual and longer period trends, where for example, the phase agreement for the dominant annual signal agrees at the 10-day level of resolution provided by GRACE. This validation confirms that mascons provide critical environmental data records for a wide range of applications including monitoring ground water mass changes.     

Estimated SLR station position and network frame sensitivity to time-varying gravity

This paper evaluates the sensitivity of ITRF2008-based satellite laser ranging (SLR) station positions estimated weekly using LAGEOS-1/2 data from 1993 to 2012 to non-tidal time-varying gravity (TVG). Two primary methods for modeling TVG from degree-2 are employed. The operational approach applies an annual GRACE-derived field, and IERS recommended linear rates for five coefficients. The experimental approach uses low-order/degree $4\times 4$ coefficients estimated weekly from SLR and DORIS processing of up to 11 satellites (tvg4x4). This study shows that the LAGEOS-1/2 orbits and the weekly station solutions are sensitive to more detailed modeling of TVG than prescribed in the current IERS standards. Over 1993–2012 tvg4x4 improves SLR residuals by 18 % and shows 10 % RMS improvement in station stability. Tests suggest that the improved stability of the tvg4x4 POD solution frame may help clarify geophysical signals present in the estimated station position time series. The signals include linear and seasonal station motion, and motion of the TRF origin, particularly in Z. The effect on both POD and the station solutions becomes increasingly evident starting in 2006. Over 2008–2012, the tvg4x4 series improves SLR residuals by 29 %. Use of the GRGS RL02 $50\times 50$ series shows similar improvement in POD. Using tvg4x4, secular changes in the TRF origin Z component double over the last decade and although not conclusive, it is consistent with increased geocenter rate expected due to continental ice melt. The test results indicate that accurate modeling of TVG is necessary for improvement of station position estimation using SLR data.     

The Impact Of Extreme Summer Melt on Net Accumulation of an Avalanche Fed Glacier,as Determined by Ground‐Penetrating Radar

Glacier mass balance is more sensitive to warming than cooling, but feedbacks related to the exposure of previously buried firn and ice in very warm years is not generally considered in sensitivity studies. A ground‐penetrating radar survey in the accumulation area of Rolleston Glacier, New Zealand shows that five years of previous net accumulation was removed by melt from parts of the glacier above the long‐term equilibrium line altitude during a single negative mass balance year. Rolleston Glacier receives a large amount of accumulation from snow avalanches, which may temporarily buffer it from climate warming by providing additional mass that has accumulated at higher elevations, effectively increasing the elevation range of the glacier. However, glaciers reliant on avalanche input may have high sensitivity to climatic variations because the extra mass is concentrated on a small part of the glacier, and small variations in avalanche input could have a large impact on overall glacier accumulation. Further research is needed to better estimate the amount and spatial distribution of accumulation by avalanche in order to quantify the climate sensitivity of small avalanche‐fed glaciers.     

New Zealand glacier response to climate change of the past 2 decades

Oblique aerial photography of 111 glaciers during the past 2 decades has recorded a reversal of the past century glacier-recession trend. Cirque glaciers show little response to the recent mass balance increase; mountain glaciers show visible advances. Some valley glaciers have advanced, some have thickened in the upper trunk, and the larger ones and those with proglacial lakes continue to recede. The shift to advance is driven by an average lowering of snowlines of 67 m, equivalent to a cooling of 0.47°C if other factors are held constant.     

The effect of seasonal and long-period geopotential variations on the GPS orbits

We examine the impact of using seasonal and long-period time-variable gravity field (TVG) models on GPS orbit determination, through simulations from 1994 to 2012. The models of time-variable gravity that we test include the GRGS release RL02 GRACE-derived 10-day gravity field models up to degree and order 20 (grgs20x20), a 4 × 4 series of weekly coefficients using GGM03S as a base derived from SLR and DORIS tracking to 11 satellites (tvg4x4), and a harmonic fit to the above 4 × 4 SLR–DORIS time series (goco2s_fit2). These detailed models are compared to GPS orbit simulations using a reference model (stdtvg) based on the International Earth Rotation Service (IERS) and International GNSS Service (IGS) repro1 standards. We find that the new TVG modeling produces significant along, cross-track orbit differences as well as annual, semi-annual, draconitic and long-period effects in the Helmert translation parameters (Tx, Ty, Tz) of the GPS orbits with magnitudes of several mm. We show that the simplistic TVG modeling approach used by all of the IGS Analysis Centers, which is based on the models provided by the IERS standards, becomes progressively less adequate following 2006 when compared to the seasonal and long-period TVG models.     

Ferric iron content of mineral inclusions in diamonds from George Creek, Colorado determined using Mössbauer spectroscopy

The Mössbauer milliprobe allows the determination of Fe³⁺/ΣFe in samples as small as 50?μm. For the first time this technique is applied to a suite of diamonds of eclogitic paragenesis, where three garnet and five clinopyroxene inclusions in diamonds from George Creek, Colorado have been analysed. For garnet Fe³⁺/ΣFe ranges from 0–7%, while values for clinopyroxene range from 8–14%. These results are consistent with the low oxygen fugacity conditions implied by the presence of the inclusions in diamond.     

A simulation study of multi-beam altimetry for lunar reconnaissance orbiter and other planetary missions

The combined use of altimetry, Earth-based Doppler and Earth-based range measurements in the lunar reconnaissance orbiter (LRO) mission (Chin et al. in Space Sci Rev 129:391–419, 2007) has been examined in a simulation study. It is found that in the initial phases of the mission orbit and altimeter geolocation accuracies should be better than 10 m in the radial component and 60 m overall. It is demonstrated that LRO’s precise 1-way laser range measurement from Earth-based stations (Smith et al. in Proceedings of the 15th International Laser Ranging Workshop, Canberra, Australia, October 15–20, 2006) will be useful for gravity recovery. The advantages of multiple laser beams are demonstrated for altimeter calibration, orbit determination and gravity recovery in general planetary settings as well as for LRO.