Using GPS to validate simulated terrestrial water storage anomalies and to independently estimate the basin level water storage

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Tonie van Dam
• Subject Area: Geodesy, Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, Geoinformatics, Cartography
• Term: since 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 324641997

Temporal changes in the geographic distribution of total water storage anomalies (TWSA) induce elastic displacements of the Earth’s surface that are of sufficient magnitude to be observed by GPS. We will use these GPS observations to address the two goals (1) validate the TWSA model variants (at the basin scale and globally) produced in P1-P3 of Phase 2 of GlobalCDA and to (2) invert for basin scale TWSA. To achieve high precision results required for Goals 1-2 above, we will address these questions: Can we improve the loading theory by examining the effects of local crustal rheology? Can we effectively remove non-loading signals (porosity changes and monument effects) from the GPS observations? For the inversion, can we effectively separate the far field from the near field loads? Finally, we will quantify the errors in the GPS observations and the background models that are used to compare with the forward modelled displacements from P1-P3.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• Subproject of: FOR 2630: Understanding the global freshwater system by combining geodetic and remote sensing information with modelling using a calibration/data assimilation approach (GlobalCDA)
• International Connection: Luxembourg
• Partner Organisation: Fonds National de la Recherche