The GFZ GRACE RL06 Level-2 and associated Level-3 Data Products

The GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences as part of the GRACE Science Data System (SDS) is currently reprocessing the complete GRACE mission data. This new Level-2 data release (RL06 in the SDS nomenclature) will be based on reprocessed Level-1B instrument data (RL03), updated processing standards and background models and will take care of limitations known from previous RL05. Examples are the application of the latest RL06 Atmosphere and Ocean Dealiasing Model, update of the ocean tide model, implementation of the most recent IERS conventions or improvements in GFŹs GPS data processing. This 15+ year time series of monthly Level-2 spherical harmonics and underlying processing standards will then serve for the continuation with GRACE-FO (Follow-on) data expected for early 2018. In parallel a team of GFZ, the Alfred-Wegener-Institute Bremerhaven and TU Dresden has developed and implemented a portal at GFZ where users can download dedicated Level-3 products for hydrological, oceanic and polar research activities. This portal is expected to be made public by the end of 2017. The presentation will show the status and examples of these new RL06 Level-2 products and prototype Level-3 products based on GFZ's RL05a Level-2 monthly solutions.