CAKAO - Combined analysis of kinematic orbits and loading observations to determine mass redistribution

The project focuses on the improvement of time variable gravity field information by consistent combination of two different measurement techniques. Gravity field estimates derived from GPS tracking of low Earth orbit satellites will be augmented by incorporating observations of station displacements on ground. Permanently operating GPS stations worldwide provide highly accurate measurements of the mass loading induced displacements, which will be used to supplement and improve the satellite based measurements. Especially for continental areas, which are of high interest for different applications, e.g. Hydrology, an improvement in terms of accuracy can be expected.