Search

In Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) coordinate time-series unrecognized errors and unmodelled (periodic) effects may bias nonlinear motions induced by geophysical signals. Hence, understanding and mitigating these errors is vital to reducing biases and on revealing subtle geophysical signals. To assess the nature of periodic signals in coordinate time-series Precise Point Positioning (PPP) solutions for the period 2008–2015 are generated. The solutions consider Global Positioning System (GPS), GLObalnaya NAvigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema (GLONASS) or combined GPS+GLONASS (GNSS) observations. We assess the periodic signals of station coordinates computed using the combined International GNSS Service (IGS) and four of its Analysis Centers (ACs) products. Furthermore, we make use of different filtering methods to investigate the sources of the periodic signals. A faint fortnightly signal in our PPP solution based on Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) products and the existence of an 8 d period for those ACs generating combined GPS+GLONASS products are the main features in the GPS-only solutions. The existence of the 8 d period in the GPS-only solution indicates that GPS orbits computed in a combined GNSS solution contain GLONASS-specific signals. The GLONASS-only solution shows highly elevated powers at the third draconitic harmonic (∼120 d period), at the 8 d period and its harmonics (4 d, 2.67 d) besides the well-known annual, semi-annual and other draconitic harmonics. We show that the GLONASS constellation gaps before December 2011 contribute to the power at some of the frequencies. However, the well-known fortnightly signal in GPS-only solutions is not discernible in the GLONASS-only solution. The combined GNSS solution contains periodic signals from both systems, with most of the powers being reduced when compared to the single-GNSS solutions. A 52 per cent reduction for the horizontal components and a 36 per cent reduction for the vertical component are achieved for the fortnightly signal from the GNSS solution compared to the GPS-only solution. Comparing the results of the employed filtering methods reveals that the source of most of the powers of draconitic and fortnightly signals are satellite-induced with a non-zero contribution of site-specific errors.

SUMMARY A large storm surge event occurred on 2007 November 2009 in the southern North Sea where strong winds caused the sea level to rise drastically by up to 3 m within several hours. Based on the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory storm surge model, the predicted loading displacements at coastal stations can reach a few centimetres in the vertical and several millimetres in the horizontal directions. In this study, we used two-hourly global positioning system (GPS) positions at 26 stations around the southern North Sea to identify the loading displacements caused by this storm surge event. We find that the mean rms of the differences between the estimated and predicted displacements are 4.9, 1.3 and 1.4 mm, which are insignificant compared to the one-sigma GPS positioning errors of 5.1, 2.0 and 2.4 mm for the Up, East and North components, respectively. More interestingly, in both vertical and horizontal directions, the estimated displacements successfully tracked the temporal evolution ofthestormsurgeloadingeffects.Inaddition,withinthewholeof2007November,weusedthe predicted displacements to correct the two-hourly GPS positions, and consequently reduced the rms of the estimated displacements on average from 9.3, 3.0 and 2.9 mm to 7.8, 2.8 and 2.8 mm for Up, East and North components, respectively. Therefore, subdaily loading effects due to storm surges should be paid attention to in the GPS positioning that contributes to crustal-motion studies around shallow seas such as the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.

This paper presents estimates of rates of mean sea level (MSL) change around the UK based on a larger tide gauge data set and more accurate analysis methods than have been employed so far. The spatial variation of the trend in MSL is found to be similar to that inferred from geological information and from advanced geodetic techniques, which is a similar conclusion to that arrived at in previous, less precise and complete studies. The tide gauge MSL trends for 1901 onwards are estimated to be 1.4 +/- 0.2 mm/year larger than those inferred from geology or geodetic methods, suggesting a regional sea level rise of climate change origin several 1/10s mm/year lower than global estimates for the 20th century. However, UK MSL change cannot be described in terms of a simple linear increase alone but includes variations on interannual and decadal timescales. The possible sources of variation in a ‘UK sea level index’ are explored. Air pressure is clearly one such possible source but its direct local forcing through the ‘inverse barometer’ accounts for only one third of the observed variability. A number of larger scale atmospheric and ocean processes must also play important roles, but modelling them satisfactorily and separating the individual contributions presents a major challenge. As regards future regional UK sea level changes, one concludes that there is no basis for major modification to existing projections for the 2080s included in the 2002 UK Climate Impacts Programme studies.