Simulation Study to Monitor and Model Individual Sources of Mass Distribution and Transport in the Earth System by Means of Satellites
Abstract
The ocean and atmosphere together with the solid Earth, cryosphere, and continental water form the main dynamical elements of the Earth's fluid systems. The dynamics of the interior processes and the interactions at the surface of the solid earth with the outer fluid envelope (oceans, atmosphere, cryosphere, continental water) cause changes in potential fields and the shape of the Earth. Time-variable space borne gravity observations are considered, among others, as a means of studying exchanges of mass between the land, ocean and atmosphere. The European Space Agency (ESA) has funded a study to investigate the possibility for monitoring the individual sources of mass distribution and transport in the Earth system from space. The study, which has just recently been concluded, included an extensive investigation of the major fluid mass transport processes and their relation to gravity and geometry. A fluid mass transport model, describing the real world, was developed. The model covers 11 years, with 6 hourly sampling, up to degree and order 180. Four different satellite constellations and orbit geometries were devised to sample the mass variability in time. Synthetic gravity retrievals, with and without realistic error estimates, were produced for each constellation. The gravity retrievals were then used to extract the original continental water storage, oceanic, ice and solid earth mass signal. This study has allowed us to determine the current limitations in satellite gravity for observing surface mass changes. More importantly, the results provide valuable information on issues that are critical to the success of future satellite gravity missions.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2008
- Bibcode:
- 2008AGUFM.G22A..05V
- Keywords:
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- 1218 Mass balance (0762;
- 1223;
- 1631;
- 1836;
- 1843;
- 3010;
- 3322;
- 4532);
- 1223 Ocean/Earth/atmosphere/hydrosphere/cryosphere interactions (0762;
- 1218;
- 3319;
- 4550);
- 6994 Instruments and techniques (1241);
- 7230 Seismicity and tectonics (1207;
- 1217;
- 1240;
- 1242);
- 7969 Satellite drag (1241)