A loading correction model for gps measurements derived from multiple-data combined monthly gravity

Abstract

Time-dependent loading deformations of the Earth’s surface, due to nontidal changes in the atmosphere, ocean, land water/ice, etc., contribute significantly to the seasonal and secular Global Positioning System (GPS) site displacements, especially for the up component. While loading deformations derived from general circulation model (GCM) outputs are usually used to correct loading signals in the GPS site displacements, this study aims to provide a loading correction model based on the multiple-data combined monthly gravity products LDCmgm90. We have adopted GPS measurements from 249 IGS reference frame stations and 3 different GCM-based loading models to test the reliability of the LDCmgm90 model. Compared to the GCM-based models, the LDCmgm90 loading correction is more effective in attenuating seasonal (especially annual) loading signals and can bring more significant improvements to most stations for both the data-trend-removed and the data-trend-retained cases. Thus, we have validated the LDCmgm90 model from the loading aspect and proved it to be a reliable loading-correction model for GPS displacements. The relatively better secular loading signals provided by the LDCmgm90 loading model may provide us a chance to study the long-term, nonloading signals in GPS data.