Improving estimates of ocean tide loading displacements with multi-GNSS: a case study of Hong Kong

Global Positioning System (GPS) kinematic precise point positioning (KPPP) is an effective approach for estimating the Earth’s tidal deformation. The accuracy of KPPP is usually evaluated by comparing results with tidal models. However, because of the uncertainties of the tidal models, the accuracy of KPPP-estimated tidal displacement is difficult to accurately determine. In this paper, systematic vector differences between GPS estimates and tidal models were estimated by least squares methods in complex domain to analyze the uncertainties of tidal models and determine the accuracy of KPPP-estimated tidal displacements. Through the use of GPS data for 12 GPS reference stations in Hong Kong from 2008 to 2017, vertical ocean tide loading displacements (after removing the body tide effect) for eight semidiurnal and diurnal tidal constituents were obtained by GPS KPPP. By an in-depth analysis of the systematic and residual differences between the GPS estimates and nine tidal models, we demonstrate that the uncertainty of the tidal displacement determined by GPS KPPP for the M2, N2, O1, and Q1 tidal constituents is 0.2 mm, and for the S2 constituent it is 0.5 mm, while the accuracy of the GPS-estimated K1, P1, and K2 tidal constituents is weak because these three tidal constituents are affected by significant common-mode errors. These results suggest that GPS KPPP can be used to precisely constrain the Earth’s vertical tidal displacement in the M2, N2, O1, and Q1 tidal frequencies.

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ANALYSIS OF OCEAN TIDE LOADING ESTIMATED FROM THE GPS COORDINATE TIME SERIES: A CASE STUDY FOR THE BELÉM, BRASÍLIA, EUSÉBIO, MANAUS AND SANTA MARIA STATIONS, BRAZIL

Brazilian Journal of Geophysics ◽

10.22564/rbgf.v37i4.2026 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 (4) ◽

pp. 565

Author(s):

Giuliano Sant’Anna Marotta ◽

Mário Alexandre De Abreu ◽

Ana Cristina Oliveira Cancoro De Matos ◽

João Francisco Galera Monico ◽

George Sand Leão Araújo De França

Keyword(s):

Solid Earth ◽

Earth Tide ◽

Ocean Tide ◽

Ocean Tide Loading ◽

Estimated Parameters ◽

Celestial Bodies ◽

Tidal Constituents ◽

Santa Maria ◽

Solid Earth Tide

ABSTRACT. The Earth suffers deformations due to the gravitational attraction of the celestial bodies and the redistribution of water mass occurring by the action of the ocean tide. These effects are known as solid Earth tide and ocean tide loading, and can be estimated by observations of the amplitudes and phases of their tidal wave constituents. Considering that GNSS observations may be used to estimate these effects and that the solid Earth tide displacement is well resolved, this work estimated and analyzed the amplitudes and phases of the 11 principal constituents of ocean tide loading, using GPS observations. The methodology was applied to data collected from five stations in Brazil, and the amplitudes and phases of the tidal constituents were estimated and evaluated regarding their values and convergence times. The results showed that most of the estimated parameters converged during the analyzed period. In addition, after correcting the effects of ocean tide loading in each GPS solution, using the computed parameters and the existing models, the coordinates were compared and the results presented some local differences, allowing to recommend the use of GPS to estimate tidal constituents considering the local behavior of the point.Keywords: GPS, ocean tide loading, tidal constituents.RESUMO. A Terra sofre deformações devido à atração gravitacional de corpos celestes e também em função da redistribuição de massa d’água que ocorre por ação da maré oceânica. Estes fenômenos são denominados maré terrestre e carga oceânica, e podem ser estimados por meio das amplitudes e fases das componentes de onda de maré. Considerando que as observações GNSS podem ser usadas na estimativa destes efeitos e que os deslocamentos devido à maré terrestre são teoricamente bem resolvidos, este trabalho estimou e analisou as amplitudes e fases das 11 componentes principais de carga oceânica, utilizando observações GPS. A metodologia foi aplicada a dados coletados em cinco estações instaladas no Brasil, e as amplitudes e fases para as componentes de maré foram estimadas e avaliadas, considerando seus valores e tempo de convergência. Os resultados mostraram que a maioria dos parâmetros estimados convergiu durante o período analisado. Além disso, após corrigir os efeitos de carga oceânica em cada solução GPS, utilizando os parâmetros calculados e os modelos existentes, as coordenadas corrigidas foram comparadas e os resultados apresentaram diferenças locais, permitindo recomendar o uso do GPS na estimativa de componentes de maré considerando o comportamento local do ponto.Palavras-chave: GPS, carga oceânica, componentes de maré.

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