Quantifying the Impact of Satellite Sampling on the Dynamic Modeling of the Upper Thermosphere

Abstract

AbstractIn this study, the CHAMP (Challenging Minisatellite Payload satellite) and GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment satellite) observations and the simulations from the National Center for Atmospheric Research Thermosphere Ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model are used to investigate the impact of local time of satellite sampling on the dynamic modeling of the thermosphere. Thermosphere Ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Mode simulations are sampled along the satellite orbits to obtain the synthetic observations and to reconstruct the global thermosphere. By comparing with the simulated “true” base, the relative deviations of the dynamic reconstructions are further characterized as a function of the local time of satellite sampling. It is found that the relative deviations would become relatively large when the satellite crosses the dawn‐dusk local time sectors. Our further investigation indicates that this spatial–temporal dependence would be greatly reduced, as the data from one more satellite are blended. The CHAMP and GRACE observations are also utilized to assess this local time dependence of the thermospheric forecasting.