Preliminary Observations of Global Ocean Mass Variations with GRACE

D. Chambers; J. Wahr; R Steven Nerem

doi:10.1029/2004GL020461

Preliminary Observations of Global Ocean Mass Variations with GRACE

D. Chambers, J. Wahr, R Steven Nerem

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

<p> Monthly estimates of the Earth's gravitational field from the GRACE mission are used to construct a time&hyphen;series of global mean ocean mass variations between August 2002 and December 2003. This time&hyphen;series is compared to a mean climatology determined from satellite altimeter measurements of global mean sea level corrected for the steric variation. The GRACE observations show a seasonal exchange of water mass with the continents of the same magnitude (&sim;8.5 mm) and phase (maximum in early&hyphen; to mid&hyphen;October) as the steric&hyphen;corrected altimetry. This is one of the first direct validations over the ocean of the primary GRACE science mission to measure time&hyphen;variable transports of water mass in the Earth system, and it suggests that GRACE data can be used to measure non&hyphen;steric mean sea level variations which is important for climate change studies.</p>

Original language	American English
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	31
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2004GL020461
State	Published - Jul 1 2004
Externally published	Yes

Disciplines

Life Sciences
Marine Biology

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title = "Preliminary Observations of Global Ocean Mass Variations with GRACE",

abstract = " Monthly estimates of the Earth's gravitational field from the GRACE mission are used to construct a time&hyphen;series of global mean ocean mass variations between August 2002 and December 2003. This time&hyphen;series is compared to a mean climatology determined from satellite altimeter measurements of global mean sea level corrected for the steric variation. The GRACE observations show a seasonal exchange of water mass with the continents of the same magnitude (&sim;8.5 mm) and phase (maximum in early&hyphen; to mid&hyphen;October) as the steric&hyphen;corrected altimetry. This is one of the first direct validations over the ocean of the primary GRACE science mission to measure time&hyphen;variable transports of water mass in the Earth system, and it suggests that GRACE data can be used to measure non&hyphen;steric mean sea level variations which is important for climate change studies.",

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AU - Chambers, D.

AU - Wahr, J.

AU - Nerem, R Steven

PY - 2004/7/1

Y1 - 2004/7/1

N2 - Monthly estimates of the Earth's gravitational field from the GRACE mission are used to construct a time&hyphen;series of global mean ocean mass variations between August 2002 and December 2003. This time&hyphen;series is compared to a mean climatology determined from satellite altimeter measurements of global mean sea level corrected for the steric variation. The GRACE observations show a seasonal exchange of water mass with the continents of the same magnitude (&sim;8.5 mm) and phase (maximum in early&hyphen; to mid&hyphen;October) as the steric&hyphen;corrected altimetry. This is one of the first direct validations over the ocean of the primary GRACE science mission to measure time&hyphen;variable transports of water mass in the Earth system, and it suggests that GRACE data can be used to measure non&hyphen;steric mean sea level variations which is important for climate change studies.

AB - Monthly estimates of the Earth's gravitational field from the GRACE mission are used to construct a time&hyphen;series of global mean ocean mass variations between August 2002 and December 2003. This time&hyphen;series is compared to a mean climatology determined from satellite altimeter measurements of global mean sea level corrected for the steric variation. The GRACE observations show a seasonal exchange of water mass with the continents of the same magnitude (&sim;8.5 mm) and phase (maximum in early&hyphen; to mid&hyphen;October) as the steric&hyphen;corrected altimetry. This is one of the first direct validations over the ocean of the primary GRACE science mission to measure time&hyphen;variable transports of water mass in the Earth system, and it suggests that GRACE data can be used to measure non&hyphen;steric mean sea level variations which is important for climate change studies.

UR - https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/183

U2 - 10.1029/2004GL020461

DO - 10.1029/2004GL020461

M3 - Article

VL - 31

JO - Geophysical Research Letters

JF - Geophysical Research Letters

ER -

Preliminary Observations of Global Ocean Mass Variations with GRACE

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