Expected improvements to regional gravity field determination from the GRACE, CHAMP and GOCE satellite missions

W. E. Featherstone

doi:10.1071/ASEG2003ab050

ISSN: 2202-0586
E-ISSN:

oa Expected improvements to regional gravity field determination from the GRACE, CHAMP and GOCE satellite missions
Authors W. E. Featherstone^a
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^a Western Australian Centre for Geodesy Curtin University of Technology, GPO Box U1987, Perth WA, 6845, AUSTRALIA, [email protected]
Publisher: Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists
Source: ASEG Extended Abstracts, Volume 2003, Issue ASEG2003 - 16th Geophysical Conference, Aug 2003, p. 1 - 5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/ASEG2003ab050
- Published online: 01 Aug 2003

Abstract

The current and planned dedicated satellite gravity field missions (i.e., GRACE, CHAMP and GOCE) will make significant improvements to long-wavelength global models of the Earth’s gravitational field. Used together, they will provide a more homogeneous, accurate and near-complete spatial coverage than was ever-achievable using ‘classical’ techniques. GRACE and CHAMP will also measure temporal variations in the gravitational field. These data will offer considerably improved constraints on global and regional geophysical models, and the time varying components will offer a totally new dataset on contemporary geodynamic processes. This paper describes the concepts of dedicated satellite gra-vimetry and summarises the GRACE, CHAMP and GOCE mission parameters. Using published syntheses of the error degree variances of these new data, attempts will be made to quantify the level of improvement offered. This will then give an indication of how much more weight can be placed on these new data in geophysical studies. Finally, a strategy will be proposed to integrate these new data with terrestrial gravimetry using spherical harmonic filters.

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Article Type: Research Article

Keyword(s): geodesy; global geopo-tential models; Satellite gravimetry

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oa Expected improvements to regional gravity field determination from the GRACE, CHAMP and GOCE satellite missions

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