Monthly estimates of C(2,0) generated by GFZ from SLR satellites based on GFZ GRACE/GRACE-FO RL06 background models

As a convenience to users who wish to use a replacement value for C(2,0) of GFZ's GRACE/GRACE-FO RL06 GSM products, a monthly GFZ C(2,0) estimate time series is provided. These estimates are obtained from the analysis of Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) data to the following five geodetic satellites: LAGEOS-1 and 2, Starlette, Stella and Ajisai. Starting from March 2012, the LARES satellite is added so that six geodetic satellites are included. The individual satellites are combined on normal equation level using relative weights which are based on a variance component estimation. Gravity field coefficients up to degree and order 5 plus coefficients C(6,1) and S(6,1) have been simultaneously solved together with all other (non-gravity) parameters. The background models used in the SLR analysis is consistent with the GFZ GRACE/GRACE-FO RL06 processing, including the use of the same Atmosphere-Ocean De-aliasing product AOD1B RL06.
IMPORTANT REMARKS:
It is advised to use these estimates to replace the C(2,0) values from the GFZ RL06 GSM files. These estimates are not intended to be used with the GRACE RL05 or earlier products.
This data set is regularly updated in order to extend the time series on an operational basis. As long as the version number has not changed, all previously available data records have not been changed! See line 'UPDATE HISTORY' in the header of the data file for details about the current time span and version.
SPECIAL NOTES:
C(2,0) estimates are provided continuously for each month. However, the SLR data was processed in 7-day batches aligned to GPS weeks. Several weekly SLR normal equations were then accumulated to obtain a monthly solution; GPS weeks covering two calendar months were assigned to that calendar month where the majority of days within the week belong to. Thus, the beginning date for these 'monthly' solutions does not necessarily match the first day of a calendar month, but will be within a few days of that corresponding date. Moreover, in most cases, a different number of days was used for the SLR solution than for the corresponding GRACE/GRACE-FO solution.
For particular periods, the GRACE/GRACE-FO solutions might span significantly less than one month or cover more than one calendar month. In these cases, a specially dedicated SLR estimate was generated which is based on approximately the same interval so that the epoch of the SLR estimate is close to the epoch of the GRACE/GRACE-FO solution.
To distinguish the different cases of C(2,0) estimates mentioned above (monthly vs. specially dedicated) and to easily recognize whether a C(2,0) estimate matches an existing GRACE/GRACE-FO solution, the following flags are appended to each data record:- ' m': C(2,0) estimate represents a monthly solution for a month where no GRACE/ GRACE-FO solution is available.- 'Gm': C(2,0) estimate represents a monthly solution and a corresponding GRACE/ GRACE-FO solution is available.- 'G*': C(2,0) estimate is specially dedicated for a GRACE/GRACE-FO solution as described above; the effective period of data used is additionally provided by a string '_'.