Mon Aug 24, F. Flechtner
• Sorted by Date • Sorted by Last Name of First Author •
Zhang, Jiahui, Tu, Rui, You, Wei, and Yu, Biao, 2026. A step–wise decorrelation approach for improving time–variable gravity fields from GRACE–FO data. Journal of Geodesy, 100(7):50, doi:10.1007/s00190-026-02073-6.
• from the NASA Astrophysics Data System • by the DOI System •
@ARTICLE{2026JGeod.100...50Z,
author = {{Zhang}, Jiahui and {Tu}, Rui and {You}, Wei and {Yu}, Biao},
title = "{A step-wise decorrelation approach for improving time-variable gravity fields from GRACE-FO data}",
journal = {Journal of Geodesy},
keywords = {Decorrelation, Parameter correlation, Colored noise, GRACE-FO, Time-variable gravity field recovery},
year = 2026,
month = jun,
volume = {100},
number = {7},
eid = {50},
pages = {50},
abstract = "{The time-variable gravity field solutions from the Gravity Recovery and
Climate Experiment (GRACE) and GRACE Follow-On (GRACE-FO)
mission are generally contaminated by the correlation errors,
specifically parameter correlation (strong parameter coupling)
and observation noise correlation (colored instead of white
noise). In this context, we propose a decorrelation approach to
pursue an improved time-variable gravity solution following a
step-wise processing. The step-wise decorrelation approach
comprises three steps, standard, parameter decorrelation, and
observation noise decorrelation processes. First, the standard
process serves to establish a reliable signal reference for the
following. Then, the parameter decorrelation is implemented
through the separate estimation of orbit and gravity field
parameters. Finally, to achieve the goal of observation noise
decorrelation, the post-fit residuals obtained from the result
of parameter decorrelation are used to estimate a colored noise
model, which is considered to determine the final gravity field
model, specifically termed the step-wise decorrelation solution.
The basic idea is that under the regularization constraints of
separate estimation for dynamic parameters, the reduced dynamic
parameter space allows certain low-frequency perturbative errors
to emerge in post-fit residuals, enabling comprehensive
characterization of observation noise correlation. Using this
step-wise decorrelation approach, we process monthly GRACE-FO
gravity field time series and evaluate the performance of them
from the aspects of signal and noise. Spectral and spatial
domain analyses of noise levels confirm significant noise
suppression in the final solution. For instance, it achieves
\raisebox{-0.5ex}\textasciitilde 66\% noise reduction in term of
mean geoid height difference beyond 80 degrees relative to the
standard solution. The basin-scale signal assessment for the
step-wise decorrelation solution demonstrates unbiased
estimation of both full signals (notably trends and seasonal
components) and high-frequency intra-annual variations (up to 6
cycle per year) and the accurate extraction of regional episodic
events, showing high consistency with the latest Science Data
System (SDS) products. Beyond GRACE-FO, the universality test
confirms the applicability of the approach to the data
processing scenario of GRACE, with potential extensions to next-
generation gravity missions.}",
doi = {10.1007/s00190-026-02073-6},
adsurl = {https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2026JGeod.100...50Z},
adsnote = {Provided by the SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System}
}
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GRACE-FO
Mon Aug 24, F. Flechtner