Gravity field models derived from Swarm GPS data

0470229 - ASÚ 2017 RIV DE eng J - Journal Article
da Encarnacao, J.T. - Arnold, D. - Bezděk, Aleš - Dahle, Ch. - Doornbos, E. - van den IJssel, J. - Jaggi, A. - Mayer-Guerr, T. - Sebera, Josef - Visser, P. - Zehentner, N.
Gravity field models derived from Swarm GPS data.
Earth, Planets and Space. č. 1 (2016), 127/1-127/15. E-ISSN 1880-5981
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT LG14026
Institutional support: RVO:67985815
Keywords : gravity field * Swarm * GRACE
OECD category: Physical geography
Impact factor: 2.243, year: 2016

This study focuses on the gravity field solutions estimated from Swarm global positioning system (GPS) data, produced by the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern, the Astronomical Institute (ASU, Czech Academy of Sciences) and Institute of Geodesy (IfG, Graz University of Technology). The three sets of solutions are based on different approaches, namely the celestial mechanics approach, the acceleration approach and the short-arc approach, respectively. We derive the maximum spatial resolution of the time-varying gravity signal in the Swarm gravity field models to be degree 12, in comparison with the more accurate models obtained from K-band ranging data of GRACE. We demonstrate that the combination of the GPS-driven models produced with the three different approaches improves the accuracy in all analysed monthly solutions, with respect to any of them. In other words, the combined gravity field model consistently benefits from the individual strengths of each separate solution. The improved accuracy of the combined model is expected to bring benefits to the geophysical studies during the period when no dedicated gravimetric mission is operational.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0267931