Earth gravity field from space : from sensors to earth sciences : proceedings of an ISSI workshop, 11-15 March 2002, Bern, Switzerland

The ESA explorer core mission GOCE, to be launched in 2006, will enhance our knowledge of the global static gravity field and of the geoid by orders of magnitude. The U.S. satellite gravity mission GRACE (2002-2006) is currently measuring, in addition, the temporal variations of the gravity field. With these new data a whole range of fascinating new possibilities will be opened for solid Earth physics, oceanography, geodesy and sea-level research. The new generation of gravity missions employs sensor concepts for gravity field measurement, orbit and attitude control and orbit determination that show interesting similarities with space experiments planned in the field of fundamental physics. This volume is the result of a workshop that brought together some 50 acknowledged experts in their field to discuss (1) strategies for ultra precision orbit determination and gravity field modelling with the data of the upcoming gravity field missions, (2) the use of accurate and high resolution gravity models in Earth sciences whereby, in particular, synergy is expected between the various science fields in their use of this type of new information, and (3) gravity field requirements and possible sensor and mission concepts for the time after GRACE and GOCE. Front Matter....Pages i-xii How to Climb the Gravity Wall....Pages 1-14 Front Matter....Pages 15-15 Strategies for Precise Orbit Determination of Low Earth Orbiters Using the GPS....Pages 17-26 Aiming at a 1-CM Orbit for Low Earth Orbiters: Reduced-Dynamic and Kinematic Precise Orbit Determination....Pages 27-36 Space-Wise, Time-Wise, Torus and Rosborough Representations in Gravity Field Modelling....Pages 37-46 Gravity Field Recovery from GRACE: Unique Aspects of the High Precision Inter-Satellite Data and Analysis Methods....Pages 47-54 Global Gravity Field Recovery Using Solely GPS Tracking and Accelerometer Data from CHAMP....Pages 55-66 The Processing of Band-Limited Measurements; Filtering Techniques in the Least Squares Context and in the Presence of Data GAPS....Pages 67-78 Front Matter....Pages 79-79 Long Wavelength Sea Level and Solid Surface Perturbations Driven by Polar Ice Mass Variations: Fingerprinting Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheet Flux....Pages 81-93 Benefits from GOCE within Solid Earth Geophysics....Pages 95-104 The Potential of GOCE in Constraining the Structure of the Crust and Lithosphere from Post-Glacial Rebound....Pages 105-113 Deep and Shallow Solid-Earth Structures Reconstructed with Sequential Integrated Inversion (SII) of Seismic and Gravity Data....Pages 115-130 Present-Day Sea Level Change: Observations and Causes....Pages 131-144 Front Matter....Pages 145-145 Global Ocean Data Assimilation and Geoid Measurements....Pages 147-162 Resolution Needed for an Adequate Determination of the Mean Ocean Circulation from Altimetry and an Improved Geoid....Pages 163-178 Error Characteristics Estimated from Champ, GRACE and GOCE Derived Geoids and from Satellite Altimetry Derived Mean Dynamic Topography....Pages 179-193 Estimating the High-Resolution Mean Sea-Surface Velocity Field by Combined use of Altimeter and Drifter Data for Geoid Model Improvement....Pages 195-204 Combined Use of Altimetry and in Situ Gravity Data for Coastal Dynamics Studies....Pages 205-216 Feasibility, and Contribution to Ocean Circulation Studies, of Ocean Bottom Pressure Determination....Pages 217-224 Impact of Geoid Improvement on Ocean Mass and Heat Transport Estimates....Pages 225-238 How Operational Oceanography can Benefit from Dynamic Topography Estimates as Derived from Altimetry and Improved Geoid....Pages 239-249 Front Matter....Pages 251-251 Remarks on the Role of Height Datum in Altimetry-Gravimetry Boundary-Value Problems....Pages 253-260 Ocean Tides in GRACE Monthly Averaged Gravity Fields....Pages 261-270 Tidal Models in a New Era of Satellite Gravimetry....Pages 271-282 The Elusive Stationary Geoid....Pages 283-292 Geodetic Methods for Calibration of GRACE and GOCE....Pages 293-303 Front Matter....Pages 305-305 Benefits of GRACE and GOCE to Sea Level Studies....Pages 307-317 What Might GRACE Contribute to Studies of Post Glacial Rebound?....Pages 319-330 Measuring the Distribution of Ocean Mass Using GRACE....Pages 331-344 Monitoring Changes in Continental Water Storage with GRACE....Pages 345-354 Front Matter....Pages 355-355 Attitude and Drag Control: An Application to the GOCE Satellite....Pages 357-366 On Superconductive Gravity Gradiometry in Space....Pages 367-376 Satellite-Satellite Laser Links for Future Gravity Missions....Pages 377-384 Possible Future Use of Laser Gravity Gradiometers....Pages 385-392 MICROSCOPE Instrument Development, Lessons for GOCE....Pages 393-408 Needs and Tools for Future Gravity Measuring Missions....Pages 409-416 Front Matter....Pages 417-417 GOCE: ESA’s First Earth Explorer Core Mission....Pages 419-432 Earth Gravity Field from Space — From Sensors to Earth Sciences: Closing Remarks....Pages 433-442 Back Matter....Pages 443-447 Volume resulting from an ISSI Workshop, 11-15 March 2002, Bern, Switzerland