CHAMP计划及其在地球科学中的应用

CHAMP计划是由德国的波茨坦地球科学研究中心 (GFZ)提出 ,而且 ,目前已经付诸实施的科学计划之一。其目的在于通过获取大量近地观测资料来精化地球重力场模型 ,同时开展地球电磁场及地球大气重要参数的确定等研究。详细而全面地介绍该计划的科学目标 ,并评述了它将在建立地球重力场模型、地球电场模型、地球磁场模型和监测地球大气等方面所起的作用。

CHAMP PROGRAM AND ITS APPLICATIONS IN GEOSCIENCE

Since the Earth is a complex system which is composed of solid, fluid, gaseous parts. The interactions within or outside the Earth occurs at a wide spectrum of time scales. Some might be as small as a few seconds, while some might be as large as tens of years, even large as tens of thousands years. To describe such a system, possible long observational data are entailed. While near Earth satellites payloads can provide an effective observing platform for Earth monitor. As of 1994, there were only a few missions dedicated to magnetic field and gravity field researches, e.g. the MAGSAT mission implemented from 1979 to 1980. As needed, CHAMP program was firstly proposed by a German institute, GFZ, in 1994. After years of preparations, CHAMP satellite was successfully launched into the expected orbit on July, 15, 2000. This paper described the CHAMP program, of which the scientific object is mainly to refine the existent gravity models based on a lot of near Earth satellite observations, and meanwhile to conduct researches on geomagnetism and determine some significant parameters of Earth's atmosphere; and further reviewed the possible contributions that might be made to the following aspects : Earth gravity field recovery, geoelectric field modelling, geomagnetic field modelling and atmosphere limb sounding.