Combination of GOCE and GRACE Data for a New Mean Earth Gravity Field Model
Bettadpur, Srinivas1; Ries, John1; Richter, Thomas2; Poole, Stephen1; Ko, Ung-Dai1; Wang, Furun1; Tapley, Byron1
1UTCSR, UNITED STATES; 2Unversity of Texas at Austin, UNITED STATES

The latest generation of mean Earth gravity field models are represented by a high degree spherical harmonic expansion, and determined using three datasets. The GRACE data, in combination with precise tracking of low Earth orbiting satellites, are used to determine the low-to-mid spherical harmonic degrees; the GOCE data provide new information in the mid-to-high spherical harmonic degrees; and the terrestrial and marine gravity measurements are used to provide information in the high-to-very-high degree spherical harmonic degrees. This paper describes the results from assimilation of the latest, re-processed GOCE gravity gradient data into such a combination mean Earth gravity field model. The paper discusses the unique contribution of GOCE to such a combination field, and provides assessments of the quality and validation results.