Optimized J2 Recovery for Multi‐Decadal Geophysical Studies

Abstract The time history of the Earth's dynamic oblateness, or J2, is a unique climate data record, with its estimation from satellite laser ranging (SLR) tracking data beginning in 1976. Due to its impact on variations in length of day (LOD), the long‐term J2 time series is frequently applied...

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Main Authors: B. D. Loomis, T. J. Sabaka, K. E. Rachlin, M. J. Croteau, F. G. Lemoine, R. S. Nerem, A. Bellas‐Manley
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-04-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL114472
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author B. D. Loomis
T. J. Sabaka
K. E. Rachlin
M. J. Croteau
F. G. Lemoine
R. S. Nerem
A. Bellas‐Manley
author_facet B. D. Loomis
T. J. Sabaka
K. E. Rachlin
M. J. Croteau
F. G. Lemoine
R. S. Nerem
A. Bellas‐Manley
author_sort B. D. Loomis
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The time history of the Earth's dynamic oblateness, or J2, is a unique climate data record, with its estimation from satellite laser ranging (SLR) tracking data beginning in 1976. Due to its impact on variations in length of day (LOD), the long‐term J2 time series is frequently applied to LOD studies and their contributions, which include tidal friction, glacial isostatic adjustment, ice melt, sea level change, and the angular momentum exchange between the fluid outer core and the mantle. Previous studies demonstrated that the accurate recovery of J2 requires the use of time variable gravity models from GRACE when processing the SLR tracking data. However, no reliable models exist prior to GRACE's 2002 launch, calling into to question the accuracy and utility of the pre‐GRACE estimates. Here we present a new approach to accurately recover J2 without gravity modeling, resulting in the first fully consistent long‐term solution for climate studies.
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institution Kabale University
issn 0094-8276
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language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-15495a0eb3754a98a9bcbb62e3fd90202025-08-20T03:49:45ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072025-04-01527n/an/a10.1029/2024GL114472Optimized J2 Recovery for Multi‐Decadal Geophysical StudiesB. D. Loomis0T. J. Sabaka1K. E. Rachlin2M. J. Croteau3F. G. Lemoine4R. S. Nerem5A. Bellas‐Manley6Geodesy and Geophysics Laboratory NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt MD USAGeodesy and Geophysics Laboratory NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt MD USAKBRwyle Greenbelt MD USAGeodesy and Geophysics Laboratory NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt MD USAGeodesy and Geophysics Laboratory NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt MD USAUniversity of Colorado Boulder CO USAUniversity of Colorado Boulder CO USAAbstract The time history of the Earth's dynamic oblateness, or J2, is a unique climate data record, with its estimation from satellite laser ranging (SLR) tracking data beginning in 1976. Due to its impact on variations in length of day (LOD), the long‐term J2 time series is frequently applied to LOD studies and their contributions, which include tidal friction, glacial isostatic adjustment, ice melt, sea level change, and the angular momentum exchange between the fluid outer core and the mantle. Previous studies demonstrated that the accurate recovery of J2 requires the use of time variable gravity models from GRACE when processing the SLR tracking data. However, no reliable models exist prior to GRACE's 2002 launch, calling into to question the accuracy and utility of the pre‐GRACE estimates. Here we present a new approach to accurately recover J2 without gravity modeling, resulting in the first fully consistent long‐term solution for climate studies.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL114472J2satellite laser ranginggravitylength of dayGRACEclimate
spellingShingle B. D. Loomis
T. J. Sabaka
K. E. Rachlin
M. J. Croteau
F. G. Lemoine
R. S. Nerem
A. Bellas‐Manley
Optimized J2 Recovery for Multi‐Decadal Geophysical Studies
Geophysical Research Letters
J2
satellite laser ranging
gravity
length of day
GRACE
climate
title Optimized J2 Recovery for Multi‐Decadal Geophysical Studies
title_full Optimized J2 Recovery for Multi‐Decadal Geophysical Studies
title_fullStr Optimized J2 Recovery for Multi‐Decadal Geophysical Studies
title_full_unstemmed Optimized J2 Recovery for Multi‐Decadal Geophysical Studies
title_short Optimized J2 Recovery for Multi‐Decadal Geophysical Studies
title_sort optimized j2 recovery for multi decadal geophysical studies
topic J2
satellite laser ranging
gravity
length of day
GRACE
climate
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL114472
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AT tjsabaka optimizedj2recoveryformultidecadalgeophysicalstudies
AT kerachlin optimizedj2recoveryformultidecadalgeophysicalstudies
AT mjcroteau optimizedj2recoveryformultidecadalgeophysicalstudies
AT fglemoine optimizedj2recoveryformultidecadalgeophysicalstudies
AT rsnerem optimizedj2recoveryformultidecadalgeophysicalstudies
AT abellasmanley optimizedj2recoveryformultidecadalgeophysicalstudies