Extending the Global Mass Change Data Record: GRACE Follow‐On Instrument and Science Data Performance
Felix W. Landerer, Frank Flechtner, Himanshu Save, F. Webb, Tamara Bandikova, Willy Bertiger, Srinivas Bettadpur, Sung Byun, Christoph Dahle, Henryk Dobslaw, Eugene G. Fahnestock, Nate Harvey, Zhigui Kang, Gerhard Kruizinga, Bryant Loomis, Christopher McCullough, Michael Murböck, Peter Nagel, Meegyeong Paik, Nadège Pie, Steve Poole, Dmitry Strekalov, M. E. Tamisiea, Furun Wang, M. M. Watkins, Hui‐Ying Wen, D. N. Wiese, Dah‐Ning Yuan
Abstract
Abstract Since June, 2018, the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow‐On (GRACE‐FO) is extending the 15‐year monthly mass change record of the GRACE mission, which ended in June 2017. The GRACE‐FO instrument and flight system performance has improved over GRACE. Better attitude solutions and enhanced pointing performance result in reduced fuel consumption and gravity range rate post‐fit residuals. One accelerometer requires additional calibrations due to unexpected measurement noise. The GRACE‐FO gravity and mass change fields from June 2018 through December 2019 continue the GRACE record at an equivalent precision and spatiotemporal sampling. During this period, GRACE‐FO observed large interannual terrestrial water variations associated with excess rainfall (Central US, Middle East), drought (Europe, Australia), and ice melt (Greenland). These observations are consistent with independent mass change estimates, providing high confidence that no intermission biases exist from GRACE to GRACE‐FO, despite the 11‐month gap. GRACE‐FO has also successfully demonstrated satellite‐to‐satellite laser ranging interferometry.