Accuracy of Normal Heights Determined Using Improved Geopotential Models

The accuracy of determining the Molodensky normal heights using geopotential models has been investigated. On the basis of geopotential model JGM-3/OSU91A the Molodensky normal heights can be computed with an accuracy of about ±35 cm at the GPS sites in the central part of Europe. On the basis of JGM-3/OSU91A improved the accuracy becomes higher, about ±14 cm.     

Lateral density anomaly distribution in the lower mantle obtained from satellite low order geopotential coefficients

In this paper, we attempt to use satellite gravity data and a new inversion method to study the lateral density anomaly distribution in the mantle. First, density difference Δρ(τ,θ,φ) is expanded in terms of a three—dimensional orthogonal function system, the coefficients of the expansion are to be determined. Then, a set of observation equations is established from the relationship between density anomaly and disturbing geopotential. In the equations the unknown vector contains the coefficients of density anomaly expansion, the observational vector is obtained by computing geopotential perturbations using the potential coefficients of GEM10B, and a filtering process is done for the observational values by properly selecting the harmonic degrees of geopotentical. Finally, the lateral density variations in the lower mantle (670 km toCM boundary) are investigated. In this case, the degrees of disturbing geopotential are selected as 2–11, the truncated degrees of density anomaly expansion are taken asL=6 andK=4, and the damping least squares method is used to solve the observation equations. The resulting model shows the high level of density perturbations at 670 km discontinuity and core — mantle boundary, a high — density zone circumscribing the Pacific and a lower—density region under the center of Pacific. These features are in agreement with the three—dimensional seismic velocity variation features by Dziewonski (1984). In the Antarctic region and some parts of Atlantic and Indian Ocean, however, the resulting density anomalies are negatively correlated with the seismic velocity anomalies, the cause resulting in these phenomena is preliminarily analysed in this paper. The Chinese version of this paper appeared in the Chinese edition ofActa Seismologica Sinica,13, 53–65, 1991. The principle and method represented in this paper can also be suitable to study the lateral density anomaly distribution in the earth’s crust and the upper mantle.     

区域高阶重力场模型与青藏地区局部位系数模型

根据当今全球模型研究的Ｍｏｌｏｄｅｎｓｋｙ理论,推导了相应的区域高阶重力场模型系数修正公式．考虑了球近似边值条件引起的各种偏差,使用了椭球坐标系,按椭球调和展开．并利用中国青藏地区地面重力资料对原始全球模型ＯＳＵ９１Ａ１Ｆ的高阶部分系数进行修正,获得该地区的局部重力场模型ＱＺ９３Ｇ（完整到３６０阶）,它对实测平均重力异常的恢复精度为±１１．８×１０－５ｍ／ｓ２．     

区域高阶重力场模型与青藏地区局部位系数模型

根据当今全球模型研究的Ｍｏｌｏｄｅｎｓｋｙ理论,推导了相应的区域高阶重力场模型系数修正公式．考虑了球近似边值条件引起的各种偏差,使用了椭球坐标系,按椭球调和展开．并利用中国青藏地区地面重力资料对原始全球模型ＯＳＵ９１Ａ１Ｆ的高阶部分系数进行修正,获得该地区的局部重力场模型ＱＺ９３Ｇ（完整到３６０阶）,它对实测平均重力异常的恢复精度为±１１．８×１０^－５ｍ／ｓ^２．     

Converting Radial Distortions Due to Geopotential Models to Geopotential Stokes Coefficients

A methodology for improving geopotential models has been developed. Theoretical relations have been derived converting coefficients in harmonic expansions for radial distortions due to geopotential models into geopotential Stokes coefficients. Terms of the order of 10 ^–10 in magnitude have been retained.     

Testing global geopotential models through comparison of a local quasi-geoid model with GPS/leveling data

The satellite missions CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload (CHAMP) and Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) provide accurate data that are routinely inverted into spherical harmonic coefficients of the geopotential forming a global geopotential model (GGM). Mean square errors of these coefficients, in some cases even entire covariance matrices, are included in the GGM. Due to estimation procedures with a large redundancy and insufficiently propagated observation errors, they often do not represent the actual accuracy of the harmonic coefficients, thus also gravity field parameters synthesized from the respective GGM. Since in most cases standard methods validating the GGMs reached their limits, new procedures and independent data are being currently sought. This article discusses an alternative validation procedure based on comparison of the GGMs with independent data represented by a set of GPS/leveling stations. Due to a different spectral content of the height anomalies synthesized from the GGMs and of those derived by combination of GPS-based ellipsoidal and leveled normal heights, the GGM-based low frequency height anomaly is enhanced for a high frequency component computed from local ground gravity and elevation data. The methodology is applied on a set of selected points of the European Vertical Reference Network and Czech trigonometric stations. In accordance with similar tests based on entirely independent data of cross-over altimetry, obtained results seem to indicate low-frequency deficiencies in the current GGMs, namely in those estimated from data of single-satellite missions.     

东亚扇区赤道异常北峰的移动规律

本文利用冲绳、台北、广州、海南四个电离层垂测站的f0F2月报表资料,分析东亚扇区赤道异常北峰的移动规律,得到北峰位置随季节、太阳活动不同周相的移动规律。并且发现赤道异常的两日振荡将引起北峰位置作相应的波动。     

Ocean cable measurements of the tsunami signal from the 1992 Cape Mendocino earthquake

The movement of the seawater across the earth's magnetic field produces a large-scale motional electric field. Using the Point Arena, California, to Hanauma Bay, Hawaii, unpowered HAW-1 cable, we have studied the geopotential across this distance to look for possible tsunami-induced fields that might have been produced following the April 1992 Cape Mendocino earthquake. We have used a ten-day interval prior to and including the earthquake as a reference for geopotential signals and for geomagnetic activity. We have also used geomagnetic data from Point Arena, Honolulu and Boulder as reference data. The results of the analyses show that there are tsunami-related effects in the cable geopotential data. These are (a) larger voltage prediction errors (residuals) for the interval following the main shock; (b) enhanced (compared to the 10d reference interval) geopotential spectral power following the main shock: two enhancements are larger than geomagnetically-induced spectral power enhancements in the same time interval; and (c) strong evidence for an 30 min echo in the cable geopotential signal following the main shock.     

Determination of Geopotential Differences between Local Vertical Datums and Realization of a World Height System

The methodology developed for connecting Local Vertical Datums (LVD) was applied to the Australian Height Datum (AHD) and the North American Vertical Datum (NAVD88). The geopotential values at AHD and NAVD88 were computed and the corresponding vertical offset of 974 mm with rms 51 mm was obtained between the zero reference surfaces defined by AHD and NAVD88. The solution is based on the four primary geodetic parameters, the GPS/levelling sites and the geopotential model EGM96. The Global Height System (or the Major Vertical Datum) can be defined by a geoidal geopotential value used in the solution as the reference value, or by the geopotential value of the LVD, e.g. NAVD88.     

东亚扇区赤道异常北峰的移动规律

本文利用冲绳、台北、广州、海南四个电离层垂测站的f₀F₂月报表资料,分析东亚扇区赤道异常北峰的移动规律,得到北峰位置随季节、太阳活动不同周相的移动规律。并且发现赤道异常的两日振荡将引起北峰位置作相应的波动。     

The equatorial F-layer: progress and puzzles

This work reviews some aspects of the ionospheric F-layer in the vicinity of the geomagnetic equator. Starting with a historical introduction, brief summaries are given of the physics that makes the equatorial ionosphere so interesting, concentrating on the large-scale structure rather than the smaller-scale instability phenomena. Several individual topics are then discussed, including eclipse effects, the asymmetries of the equatorial trough, variations with longitude, the semiannual variation, the effects of the global thermospheric circulation, and finally the equatorial neutral thermosphere, including superrotation and possible topographic influences.     

Observational aspects of the low-level cross-equatorial jet stream of the western Indian Ocean

Summary Studies of all available upper wind data up to 3 km over eastern Africa and the western Indian Ocean reveal a major low-level air current circulating at about 1.5 km in the western periphery of the monsoon regime. The current originates in the southern hemisphere and penetrates progressively further north in spring until it reaches its maximum development in July. The major current is composed of systems of low-level jet streams which can be located on a daily basis, always in the same geographical areas, with speeds reaching 25–50 ms^–1 at heights of only 1–1.5 km. Because the current is topographically-locked over eastern Africa the massive flow of air from one hemisphere to the other can be monitored and some relationships with the rainfall of parts of western India can be deduced.This paper is only a brief review of the observational and analytical studies which have been carried out and reference should be made to original papers for details of the structure and development of the current.     

The Interpretation of Gravity Changes and Crustal Deformation in Active Volcanic Areas

Simple models, like the well-known point source of dilation (Mogis source) in an elastic, homogeneous and isotropic half-space, are widely used to interpret geodetic and gravity data in active volcanic areas. This approach appears at odds with the real geology of volcanic regions, since the crust is not a homogeneous medium and magma chambers are not spheres. In this paper, we evaluate several more realistic source models that take into account the influence of self-gravitation effects, vertical discontinuities in the Earths density and elastic parameters, and non-spherical source geometries. Our results indicate that self-gravitation effects are second order over the distance and time scales normally associated with volcano monitoring. For an elastic model appropriate to Long Valley caldera, we find only minor differences between modeling the 1982–1999 caldera unrest using a point source in elastic, homogeneous half-spaces, or in elasto-gravitational, layered half-spaces. A simple experiment of matching deformation and gravity data from an ellipsoidal source using a spherical source shows that the standard approach of fitting a center of dilation to gravity and uplift data only, excluding the horizontal displacements, may yield estimates of the source parameters that are not reliable. The spherical source successfully fits the uplift and gravity changes, overestimating the depth and density of the intrusion, but is not able to fit the radial displacements.     

Dynamical effect of the zonal wind anomalies over the tropical western Pacific on ENSO cycles

The circulation and zonal wind anomalies in the lower troposphere over the equatorial western Pacific and their roles in the developing and decaying processes of the 1982–1983, 1986 –1987, 1991–1992 and 1997–1998 El Ni?o events and the occurrence of La Ni?a events are analyzed by using the observed data in this paper. The results show that before the developing stage of these El Ni?o events, there were cyclonic circulation anomalies in the lower troposphere over the tropical western Pacific, and the anomalies brought the westerly anomalies over the Indonesia and the tropical western Pacific. However, when the El Ni?o events developed to their mature phase, there were anticyclonic circulation anomalies in the lower troposphere over the tropical western Pacific, and the anomalies made the easterly anomalies appear over the tropical western Pacific. A simple, dynamical model of tropical ocean is used to calculate the response of the equatorial oceanic waves to the observed anomalies of wind stress near the sea surface of the equatorial Pacific during the 1997/98 ENSO cycle, which was the strongest one in the 20th century. It is shown that the zonal wind stress anomalies have an important dynamical effect on the devel-opment and decay of this El Ni?o event and the occurrence of the following La Ni?a event.