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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 28, NO. 1, PAGES 21–24, 2001

Error Spectrum for the Global M₂ Ocean Tide

R. D. Ray

Laboratory for Terrestrial Physics, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland.

R. J. Eanes

Center for Space Research, University of Texas, Austin, Texas.

G. D. Egbert

College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon.

N. K. Pavlis

Raytheon ITSS, Greenbelt, Maryland.

Abstract

The most accurate determinations of the global ocean tides are currently based on altimeter measurements made by the Topex/Poseidon satellite. The error spectrum corresponding to the M₂ tidal solution is here estimated, primarily by inverse methods and secondarily by simple differencing of several of the best tidal models. The tidal error spectrum is flatter than the tidal signal spectrum, and it exceeds 10% of the signal at spherical harmonic degree 15 and above. The tide errors also exceed the anticipated sensitivity of the upcoming GRACE satellite gravity mission for all degrees below 40, and possibly below 50.

Received 9 April 2000; accepted 4 October 2000.

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Citation: Ray, R. D., R. J. Eanes, G. D. Egbert, and N. K. Pavlis (2001), Error Spectrum for the Global M₂ Ocean Tide, Geophys. Res. Lett., 28(1), 21–24.

Copyright 2001 by the American Geophysical Union.