Work

Introducing Regularization Constraints Into Combination of GRACE Monthly Terrestrial Water Storage Changes

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) observation data processed by various institutions yields somewhat different spherical harmonic solutions, which are further used to derive terrestrial water storage (TWS) changes. Combining TWS solutions from different institutions helps to refine the effective signal while removing noise. This study investigates regularization constraints in the context of TWS fusion to enhance the resulting estimates. The considered constraints are Tikhonov regularization of different orders, as well as minimization of month‐to‐month year‐to‐year double differences (MYDD), and triple differences (MYTD). Different accuracy and signal evaluation approaches are implemented for both individual and combined solutions. Compared to individual solutions and unregularized combinations, the regularized TWS combined solutions demonstrate lower noise levels. Among them, the second‐order Tikhonov regularization performs slightly better than other constraints, providing lower noise levels. This study offers a novel perspective for exploring GRACE‐based TWS combination methodologies.

Source: Geophysical Research Letters

DOI: 10.1029/2026gl121643

Authors: Wei You, Ke Qian, Jiangjun Ran, Pavel Ditmar

Institutions: Southwest Jiaotong University, Southern University of Science and Technology, Delft University of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Geophysics and Gravity Measurements

Subfield: Oceanography

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,190

Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China