Calibration of GOCE SGG data using high–low SST, terrestrial gravity data and global gravity field models

Abstract. It is the aim of the GOCE mission to determine a model of the Earth’s gravity field with high accuracy and resolution. For this purpose, gravity gradients will be measured in combination with high– low satellite-to-satellite tracking. The gravity gradients are derived from pair-wise differenced accelerations as determined by the six three-axes accelerometers that form the GOCE gradiometer. Since the measured accelerations suffer from errors of a random and systematic nature, the gravity gradients may suffer from random and systematic errors as well. Systematic errors are, for example, a scale factor and a bias. The common accelerations of the paired accelerometers also are contaminated with such errors. The common accelera-tions are used in the drag-free control of the satellite an