Monthly gravity field recovery from GRACE orbits and K-band measurements using variational equations approach

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment（GRACE） mission can significantly improve our knowledge of the temporal variability of the Earth＇s gravity field.We obtained monthly gravity field solutions based on variational equations approach from GPS-derived positions of GRACE satellites and K-band range-rate measurements.The impact of different fixed data weighting ratios in temporal gravity field recovery while combining the two types of data was investigated for the purpose of deriving the best combined solution.The monthly gravity field solution obtained through above procedures was named as the Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics（IGG） temporal gravity field models.IGG temporal gravity field models were compared with GRACE Release05（RL05） products in following aspects：（i） the trend of the mass anomaly in China and its nearby regions within 2005-2010; （ii） the root mean squares of the global mass anomaly during 2005-2010; （iii） time-series changes in the mean water storage in the region of the Amazon Basin and the Sahara Desert between 2005 and 2010.The results showed that IGG solutions were almost consistent with GRACE RL05 products in above aspects（i）-（iii）.Changes in the annual amplitude of mean water storage in the Amazon Basin were 14.7 ± 1.2 cm for IGG,17.1 ± 1.3 cm for the Centre for Space Research（CSR）,16.4 ± 0.9 cm for the GeoForschungsZentrum（GFZ） and 16.9 ± 1.2 cm for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory（JPL） in terms of equivalent water height（EWH）,respectively.The root mean squares of the mean mass anomaly in Sahara were 1.2 cm,0.9 cm,0.9 cm and 1.2 cm for temporal gravity field models of IGG,CSR,GFZ and JPL,respectively.Comparison suggested that IGG temporal gravity field solutions were at the same accuracy level with the latest temporal gravity field solutions published by CSR,GFZ and JPL.

Dynamic pattern characteristics of fault deformation and gravity field in the development process of Yongdeng M_S=5.8 earthquake

In this paper, the fault deformation abnormality, dynamic evolution features of gravity and vertical deformation field in the seismogenic process of the Yongdeng, Gansu Province earthquake on July 22, 1995 are studied primarily. There appeared α β γ tri stage anomaly at three sites near the epicenter, and there appeared anomalies of step and sudden jump at more than 10 sites in outer region since 1993. The high value area before shock, coseismic effect and process of recovery aftershock were monitored by portable gravity data. Data reflects the changing process of fault movement from the quasi linear to the nonlinear in the near source region during seismogenic development of the Yongdeng earthquake and evolution of gravity field from heterogeneity of seismogenic term to quasi homogeneity of postseismic term. There exists close relationship between strong earthquake and dynamic evolution of regional stress strain field. Considering all above, the experience and lessons in this medium short term prediction test are summarized.

Analyses on gravity variation before and after the Lijiang earthquake based on a finite rectangular dislocation model

The methods were discussed to calculate the gravity variation due to crustal deformation based on a model of dis-location on a finite rectangular plane. Taking the Lijiang MS=7.0 earthquake as an example the calculating princi-ple of fault parameters were determined, and the results were given. Of particular interests were the characteristics of the gravity variations in different dislocation types. With comparison between the calculated results and the practical measurements, it was found that the model could to some extent account for the observations. But it failed to give explanations to the more far spatial gravity variation.

Discrete Wavelet Multi-scale Decomposition of the Temporal Gravity Variations in North China

On the basis of the absolute and relative gravity observations in North China,spatial dynamic variation of regional gravity fields is obtained. A multi-scale decomposition technique is used to separate anomalies at different depths,and give some explanation to gravity variation at different time space scales. Gravity variation trends in North China are improved. Based on this result and the analysis of wavelet power spectrum,the images of the depth of wavelet approximation and detail are obtained. The results obtained are of scientific significance for the deep understanding of potential seismic risk in North China from gravity variations in different time space scales.

Gravity evidence of underplating in the northeastern margin area of Qinghai-Tibet plateau

Based on leveling data in 1972 -2011 and relative-gravity data in 1993 -2011, we obtained a longterm vertical crustal-deformation rate of 1.62mm/a and a relative-gravity variation rate of 0.62 × 10^-8 ms^-2a^-1 for the northeastern margin area of Qinghai-Tibet plateau. After removing the contributions from the observed vertical movement and inferred surface denudation, we obtain a gravity-variation rate of 0.73 × 10^-8 ms^-2a^-1 attributable to the mass changes beneath the crust. This positive change suggests that the total mass under the observation stations was gradually increasing. We consider this result to be the gravitational evidence of underplating beneath the study area, and propose that the underplating was caused by collision betwen the Indian plate and Tibetan plateau and by gravitation-potential induced deviatoric stress.