Evidence for excitation of polar motion by fortnightly ocean tides

Abstract

The second‐degree zonal tide raising potential, which is responsible for tidal changes in the Earth's rotation rate and length‐of‐day, is symmetric about the polar axis and hence can excite the Earth's polar motion only through its action upon nonaxisymmetric features of the Earth such as the oceans. Ocean tidal excitation of polar motion in the diurnal and semidiurnal tidal bands has been previously detected and examined. Here, the detection of ocean tidal excitation of polar motion in the long‐period tidal band, specifically at the Mf′ (13.63‐day) and Mf (13.66‐day) tidal frequencies, is reported. Spectra of the SPACE94 polar motion excitation series exhibit peaks at the prograde and retrograde fortnightly tidal periods. After removing effects of atmospheric wind and pressure changes, an empirical model for the effect of the fortnightly ocean tides upon polar motion excitation is obtained by least‐squares fitting periodic terms at the Mf and Mf′ tidal frequencies to the residual polar motion excitation series. The resulting empirical model is then compared with the predictions of two hydrodynamic ocean tide models.