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GOCE data products
 
The objective of GOCE is the provision of a high-accuracy, high-resolution model for the static part of the Earth’s gravity field. This model will basically be derived from gradiometer (SGG) and GPS tracking (SST) observations.

Concerning the use of GOCE data products, five different themes have been distinguished:

  • Oceanography
  • Solid-Earth
  • Geodesy
  • Glaciology
  • Sea level change studies
For certain applications within these themes, level 1 data products can be used directly, e.g., calibrated SGG observations in certain solid-Earth studies. However, in certain other applications a spherical harmonic expansion or a linear function of this can be used directly, e.g., in ocean current derivation from satellite radar altimetry, and in precise orbit computations.

However, for some GOCE impact studies, especially level 2 products, other representation forms are needed, some of which may be derived by linear transformations or derivations from a spherical harmonic expansion.
 
Three stages to estimate gravity and the geoid
 
The complex data processing from engineering numbers to a gravity product can be divided into three consecutive stages:  
 
Data LevelProcessing Steps
Level 0 -> 1bReal time orbits from GPS
 Determination of gravity gradients, common mode accelerations and attitude information
 (e.g. orientation and angular velocities)
 Combined analysis of accelerometers, GPS, star sensors, attitude and drag controls
Level 2Determination of the best possible set of spherical harmonic coefficients of the Earth’s gravity
 field and precision orbits, including quality parameters for orbit and for the set of coefficients.
 As derived products, a geoid model and a gravity anomaly model are determined
Level 3 and higherThe level 2 data products serve as input for the further fields of science and application
 (e.g. solid-Earth physics, oceanography, ice research, geodesy and sea level studies)
  
  
 
 
Last update: 16 September 2010

 
 
Space Operations &
Situational Awareness
GOCE OperationsKiruna stationSvalbard station ESOCA virtual tour of ESOC, ESA's Space Operations Centre
ESRINESRIN website
Access GOCE dataGOCE first global gravity model
More information
GOCE Mission Requirements Document (pdf)GOCE Ground Segment Concept Document (pdf)GOCE Level-1b Cal/Val Plan (pdf)GOCE L1-L2 Data Processing Study Report (Executive Summary) (pdf)GOCE L1-L2 Data Processing Study Report (Final Report) (pdf)GOCE HPF Standards Document (pdf)Oceanographer's Guide to GOCE and the Geoid (pdf)
Handbooks
GOCE Level-1b Product User Handbook (pdf)GOCE Level-2 Product Data Handbook (pdf)
 
 
 
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