Ebook: System Earth via Geodetic-Geophysical Space Techniques

The Earth’s gravity and magnetic gravity fields play an important role in global and regional geodynamics. Research satellites such as CHAMP, GRACE, and GOCE apply new measurement techniques to recover gravity and magnetic fields with unprecedented accuracy and resolution in space and time. Combined with terrestrial observations and numerical models, this data will significantly improve a detailed understanding of the Earth as a coupled system of atmosphere, hydrosphere and solid Earth.

In Germany, many of the processing, modelling and interpreting methodologies for these new observation techniques have been developed under the umbrella of the R&D-programme GEOTECHNOLOGIEN. The research projects focus on a better understanding of the spatial and temporal variations in the magnetic and gravity field and their relationship to the dynmaics of the Earth's interior and global change processes close to its surface.

This volume presents the results of all multidisciplinary studies covered by this programme for the period 2005-2008, including the following topics:

- Static and time variable gravity field models from CHAMP, GRACE and GOCE
- Applications of GRACE , altimetry, GPS and other data for geophysical analyses
- Contributions to the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS)
- Atmospheric sounding by GPS radio occultation technique with CHAMP
and GRACE
- Observation of the Earth's magnetic field with CHAMP

Thus, it offers an up-to-date overview for a broad scientific community working in gravity field and Earth rotation research.

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The Earth’s magnetic and gravity field play an important role in global and regional geodynamics. Satellite exploration of these fields has received great attention in recent years. Research satellites such as CHAMP and GRACE as well as the ESA explorer GOCE apply new measurement techniques, thus allowing the recovery of the gravitational and magnetic field with unprecedented accuracy and resolution, spatial as well as temporal. Combined with terrestrial observations and computer models, this data will help develop a more detailed understanding of the Earth as a system. In Germany, many of the processing, modelling and interpreting methodologies for these new observation techniques are developed under the umbrella of the R&D-programme GEOTECHNOLOGIEN, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The research projects focus on a better understanding of the spatial and temporal variations in the magnetic and gravity field and their relationship to the dynamics of the Earth’s interior and global change processes. This volume presents the results of the multidisciplinary studies covered by the programme for the period 2005-2008. It includes the following topics: High-accuracy gravity field models, near-real-time provision and usage of CHAMP and GRACE atmospheric sounding, sea level variations, improved GRACE gravity time series and their validation by ocean bottom pressure measurements, integration of space geodetic techniques as a basis for the Global Geodetic-Geophysical Observing System (GGOS), high-resolution magnetic field models and global magnetisation maps and time-variable gravity and surface mass processes.