Premium
Extracting ocean‐generated tidal magnetic signals from Swarm data through satellite gradiometry
Author(s) -
Sabaka Terence J.,
Tyler Robert H.,
Olsen Nils
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2016gl068180
Subject(s) - satellite , geodesy , geology , amplitude , spacecraft , earth's magnetic field , remote sensing , swarm behaviour , geophysics , magnetic field , physics , computer science , astronomy , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence
Abstract Ocean‐generated magnetic field models of the Principal Lunar, M 2 , and the Larger Lunar elliptic, N 2 , semidiurnal tidal constituents were estimated through a “Comprehensive Inversion” of the first 20.5 months of magnetic measurements from European Space Agency's (ESA) Swarm satellite constellation mission. While the constellation provides important north‐south along‐track gradiometry information, it is the unique low‐spacecraft pair that allows for east‐west cross‐track gradiometry. This latter type is crucial in delivering an M 2 estimate of similar quality with that derived from over 10 years of CHAMP satellite data but over a shorter interval, at higher altitude, and during more magnetically disturbed conditions. Recovered N 2 contains nonoceanic signal but is highly correlated with theoretical models in regions of maximum oceanic amplitude. Thus, satellite magnetic gradiometry may eventually enable the monitoring of ocean electrodynamic properties at temporal resolutions of 1 to 2 years, which may have important implications for the inference of ocean temperature and salinity.