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.