DFG-CONTIM
DFG-SPP1788 Consistent Ocean Mass Time Series from LEO Potential Field Missions.
Zeitraum
01.09.2015 - 31.08.2021
Projektträger
DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
Ansprechpartner
Zusammenfassung
CONTIM aims at developing a new methodology for improving ocean mass estimates from geodetic orbit determination for low-flying satellites, involving non-standard inversion techniques and physical ocean modelling. The focus will be on reconstructing mass contributions in terms of sea level variability from shorter (barotropic motions) to longer (ice sheet, glacier and land-ocean exchange) timescales. The central hypothesis is that an integrated approach, starting with precise orbit determination and gravity field modelling for CHAMP and the three SWARM satellites, and involving a consistent combination with GRACE normal equations in a low-dimensional and physically motivated pattern space, will allow to create a long and consistent time series of mass contributions to sea level variability that can be meaningfully extended beyond the lifetime of the GRACE mission. We believe that such an approach will provide more reliable results (in terms of resolution and information content) compared to computing single-satellite or single-mission spherical harmonic solutions. We suggest to investigate the potential of the GNSS-tracked SWARM constellation for mass modelling, as an alternative to dedicated gravity missions such as ESA’s NGGM and GRACE-FO which might not materialize in time. However, the objective is rather to develop new methods and validate on a specific satellite configuration, than processing as many as possible satellites; therefore SWARM serves as a demonstrator. The key objectives of the IGG part of the project are: (1) to develop an improved method for consistently combining various satellite mission data, tailored to ocean mass applications, and (2) to generate a consistent series of global surface mass change (ocean, ice land hydrology) and sea level partitioning since 2000 and beyond the lifetime of the GRACE mission. Weitere Information http://www.dfg.de/foerderung/info_wissenschaft/2014/info_wissenschaft_14_35/index.html.
