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Global Atmospheric Data from CHAMP and GRACE-A: Overview and Results

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System Earth via Geodetic-Geophysical Space Techniques

Part of the book series: Advanced Technologies in Earth Sciences ((ATES))

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Abstract

The German geoscience satellite CHAMP (CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload) provides global atmospheric measurements almost continuously since early 2001. It currently generates a unique and operationally available long-term set of GPS radio occultation (RO) data. RO data from the US-German GRACE-A satellite (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) are in addition operationally available since May 22, 2006. Data and analysis results from both satellites are provided to the international scientific community and stimulated several activities to improve GPS RO data analysis and the application in atmospheric research and for global weather forecasts. The data are currently in use by more than 40 research groups worldwide. A near-real time data provision from CHAMP and GRACE was installed and is demonstrated by GFZ within the GEOTECHNOLOGIEN research project NRT-RO (Near-Real-Time Radio Occultation) funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). An average delay between measurement aboard the satellites and provision of corresponding analysis results below 2 h is operationally reached. This successful research activity was one of the preconditions for the beginning of the operational GPS RO data use to improve global weather forecasts in 2006 by Met Office and ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts). This result is a milestone and a breakthrough for the acceptance of the innovative GPS RO data in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP).

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Acknowledgments

We thank the CHAMP, GRACE and TerraSAR-X teams for their great work to guarantee the availability of GPS occultation data. The near-real time activities at GFZ and DWD are supported by the German Ministry for Education and Research within the GEOTECHNOLOGIEN programme (Research project NRT-RO) and also by GFZ. This project is also significantly aided by ECMWF, Met Office, Météo-France and Japan Meteorological Agency. We are grateful for this support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department 1: Geodesy and Remote Sensing, Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Telegrafenberg, 14473, Potsdam, Germany

    Jens Wickert, Georg Beyerle, Carsten Falck, Stefan Heise, Wolfgang Köhler, Grzegorz Michalak, Markus Ramatschi & Torsten Schmidt

  2. European Centre for Medium-Range Forecasts, ECMWF, Reading, UK

    Sean B. Healy

  3. Met Office, Exeter, UK

    Dave Offiler

  4. Deutscher Wetterdienst, DWD, Offenbach, Germany

    Detlef Pingel

  5. ETH Zürich, Photogrammetrie, HPV G 52, Schafmattstr. 34, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland

    Markus Rothacher

Authors
  1. Jens Wickert
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  2. Georg Beyerle
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  3. Carsten Falck
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  4. Sean B. Healy
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  5. Stefan Heise
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  6. Wolfgang Köhler
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  7. Grzegorz Michalak
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  8. Dave Offiler
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  9. Detlef Pingel
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  10. Markus Ramatschi
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  11. Markus Rothacher
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  12. Torsten Schmidt
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jens Wickert .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ, Telegrafenberg, Potsdam, 14473, Germany

    Frank M. Flechtner

  2. TU München, Arcisstr. 21, München, 80333, Germany

    Thomas Gruber

  3. Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ, Telegrafenberg, Potsdam, 14473, Germany

    Andreas Güntner

  4. , Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris G, Université Paris Diderot, rue Thomas Mann 5, Paris, 75205, France

    M. Mandea

  5. Photogrammetrie HP V G 52, ETH Zürich, Schaffmattstraße 34, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland

    Markus Rothacher

  6. Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ, Telegrafenberg, Potsdam, 14473, Germany

    Tilo Schöne

  7. Abt. 1 Geodäsie und Fernerkundung, GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam, Telegrafenberg A 17, Potsdam, 14473, Brandenburg, Germany

    Jens Wickert

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Wickert, J. et al. (2010). Global Atmospheric Data from CHAMP and GRACE-A: Overview and Results. In: Flechtner, F., et al. System Earth via Geodetic-Geophysical Space Techniques. Advanced Technologies in Earth Sciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-10228-8_38

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