Non-Tidal Ocean Loading Correction for the Argentinean-German Geodetic Observatory Using an Empirical Model of Storm Surge for the Río de la Plata

Abstract

The Argentinean-German Geodetic Observatory is located 13 km from the Río de la Plata, in an area that is frequently affected by storm surges that can vary the level of the river over ±3 m. Water-level information from seven tide gauge stations located in the Río de la Plata are used to calculate every hour an empirical model of water heights (tidal + non-tidal component) and an empirical model of storm surge (non-tidal component) for the period 01/2016–12/2016. Using the SPOTL software, the gravimetric response of the models and the tidal response are calculated, obtaining that for the observatory location, the range of the tidal component (3.6 nm/s²) is only 12% of the range of the non-tidal component (29.4 nm/s²). The gravimetric response of the storm surge model is subtracted from the superconducting gravimeter observations, after applying the traditional corrections, and a reduction of 7% of the RMS is obtained. The wavelet transform is applied to the same series, before and after the nontidal correction, and a clear decrease in the spectral energy in the periods between 2 and 12 days is identify between the series. Using the same software East, North and Up displacements are calculated, and a range of 3, 2, and 11 mm is obtained, respectively. The residuals obtained after applying the non-tidal correction allow to clearly identify the influence of rain events in the superconducting gravimeter observations, indicating the need of the analysis of this, and others, hydrological and geophysical effects.