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 Time series of ocean mass change from GRACE

Here you can download GRACE-RL05 and GRACE-RL06 ocean mass time series which have been processed according to Uebbing et al. (2019).

The Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission has measured mass change in the Earth's water cycle between 2002 and 2017 and it is continued by the GRACE-FO mission which has successfully been launched in May, 2018.
Ocean mass change derived from GRACE data is an important observable in order to separate the total sea level change measured by satellite altimetry into steric (volumetric) sea level changes and ocean mass changes. A recent paper by Uebbing et al. (2019) reviewed different approaches for deriving ocean mass change from GRACE. After accounting for inconsistencies within the processing of GRACE data, it was possible to reach an agreement of less than 0.1 mm/y between directly estimating ocean mass from GRACE and a joint GRACE and altimetry inversion approach.

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Fig. 1: GRACE RL06 ocean mass time series from CSR, JPL, GFZ and ITSG-2018. © Dr.Uebbing

GRACE RL06 Direct Estimates

The GRACE-RL06 level-2 Stokes coefficients are processed following Uebbing et al. (2019).

Global ocean mass time series with different GIA corrections applied are available for download:

GIA correction

Processing Centre
A et al. (2013) CSR, GFZ, JPL, ITSG2018
Caron et al. (2018) CSR, GFZ, JPL, ITSG2018
Klemann & Martinec (2009) CSR, GFZ, JPL, ITSG2018
Paulson et al. (2007) CSR, GFZ, JPL, ITSG2018
Peltier et al. (2015), ICE6G_C CSR, GFZ, JPL, ITSG2018
Peltier et al. (2018), ICE6G_D CSR, GFZ, JPL, ITSG2018
Rietbroek et al. (2016) CSR, GFZ, JPL, ITSG2018

Last update: 2019-02-05

Fig. 2: GRACE RL05 ocean mass time series from CSR, GFZ and the Uebbing et al. (2019) inverse approach.
Fig. 2: GRACE RL05 ocean mass time series from CSR, GFZ and the Uebbing et al. (2019) inverse approach. © Dr.Uebbing

Inverse Estimates (GFZ-RL05)

The global fingerprint inversion [Rietbroek et al. (2016)] allows to simultaneously estimate individual mass and steric components of the total sea level budget by combining GRACE and altimetry data in a joint estimation. Here we provide ocean mass from an extension to the Rietbroek et al. (2016) method presented in Uebbing et al. (2019). The inverse ocean mass time series available here represents the sum of all mass components of an inversion run as consistent as possible with the direct approach. The GIA component of the inversion is fixed to be equal to A et al. (2013). The pole tide correction has been applied and the AOD1B-GAD has been restored.

Download:

inversion ocean mass
Last update: 2019-02-05

GRACE RL05 Direct Estimates

The RL05 data represent the results presented in Uebbing et al. (2019). Please note that RL05 data will not be updated in the future.

Global ocean mass time series with different GIA corrections applied are available for download:

GIA correction

Processing Centre
A et al. (2013) CSR, GFZ
Caron et al. (2018) CSR, GFZ
Klemann & Martinec (2009) CSR, GFZ
Paulson et al. (2007) CSR, GFZ
Peltier et al. (2015), ICE6G_C CSR, GFZ
Peltier et al. (2018), ICE6G_D CSR, GFZ
Rietbroek et al. (2016) CSR, GFZ

Last update: 2019-02-05

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Fig. 3: The ocean masks used to derive the global mean ocean mass time series. © Dr.Uebbing
  • Total Ocean
  • Total Ocean with additional 300km coastal buffer

Reference

  • Uebbing, B., J. Kusche, R. Rietbroek, F. W. Landerer (2019), Processing choices affect ocean mass estimates from GRACE, Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, doi:10.1029/2018JC014341.

Contact

If you have any questions regarding the time series, please contact Bernd Uebbing