loading page

The Unique Role of Jason-2 Geodetic Mission for High Resolution Gravity Field Modelling
  • +3
  • Ole Baltazar Andersen,
  • Shengjun Zhang,
  • David T. Sandwell,
  • Gérald Dibarboure,
  • Walter H.F. Smith,
  • Adili Abulaitijiang
Ole Baltazar Andersen
DTU Space, National Space Institute

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

Author Profile
Shengjun Zhang
School of Resources and Civil Engineering,Northeastern University
Author Profile
David T. Sandwell
UCSD
Author Profile
Gérald Dibarboure
CNES
Author Profile
Walter H.F. Smith
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Author Profile
Adili Abulaitijiang
DTU space, National Space Institute
Author Profile

Abstract

The Geodetic Mission (GM) of Jason-2 was planned to provide ground-tracks with a systematic spacing of 4 km after 2 years and 2 km after 4 years to increase the spatial resolution of global altimetric gravity fields. Jason-2 ceased operation after 2 years of GM but provided a fantastic dataset. We highlight and evaluate the improvement to the gravity field which has been derived from the GM. The ageing Jason-2 suffered from several safe-holds and instrument outages. Here, we try to quantify the effect of safe-holds on marine gravity and discuss suitable approaches advising future GM like Jason-3. We evaluate the importance of attempting to “rewind” the mission to recover missing tracks as well as the possibility to continue an existing GM by using the same orbital plane. The latter idea would allow bisecting the already 2-years Jason-2 GM creating a 2 km grid after 2 years of Jason-3 GM.