Fri Apr 10, F. Flechtner
• Sorted by Date • Sorted by Last Name of First Author •
Li, Zhicai, Liu, Zhuohao, Wu, Junli, Wang, Xiaoqing, and Yang, Fei, 2026. Investigating periodic variation of vertical surface displacement in South China using integrated GNSS and GRACE data. Advances in Space Research, 77(7):7669–7688, doi:10.1016/j.asr.2026.01.101.
• from the NASA Astrophysics Data System • by the DOI System •
@ARTICLE{2026AdSpR..77.7669L,
author = {{Li}, Zhicai and {Liu}, Zhuohao and {Wu}, Junli and {Wang}, Xiaoqing and {Yang}, Fei},
title = "{Investigating periodic variation of vertical surface displacement in South China using integrated GNSS and GRACE data}",
journal = {Advances in Space Research},
keywords = {GRACE, GNSS, Terrestrial water load, Surface vertical displacement, Time series, Phase correction},
year = 2026,
month = apr,
volume = {77},
number = {7},
pages = {7669-7688},
abstract = "{Large-scale periodic fluctuations in Earth's vertical surface motion can
be captured by combining continuous observations from the Global
Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) with mass redistribution data
from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE).
However, the viscoelastic response of the Earth often introduces
phase delays in surface displacements relative to imposed
geophysical loads. Resolving this phase difference is essential
to improve the consistency of these complementary data sets and
provides a basis for advancing studies of multi-source periodic
variations in vertical surface displacement. This study analyzes
the vertical displacement time series from 26 GNSS reference
stations distributed across South China between 2011 and 2019.
Displacements induced by terrestrial water load (TWL) are
derived from GRACE/GFO equivalent water height (EWH) data
through the Green's function method. Seasonal characteristics
are extracted by applying harmonic least-squares fitting to both
GNSS- and GRACE-derived displacement series. GRACE signals are
phase-aligned through a combined approach of cross-correlation
analysis and time shifting, and the residual GNSS series is
reconstructed by subtracting the adjusted TWL component. The
results indicate that the weighted root mean square (WRMS)
increased from 0.40 to 0.66, and the annual average amplitude of
GNSS vertical motion dropped from 4.3 mm to 1.5 mm. The analysis
reveals pronounced regional differences in TWL influence, with
the correction observed in Guangxi (0.80), followed by Hainan
(0.54) and Guangdong (0.53). The conclusion suggests that the
degree of improvement is jointly controlled by the initial phase
offset and the magnitude of TWL-driven deformation at individual
sites. Land surfaces move up and down slightly over the year as
water is stored and released in rivers, soil, and underground
layers. This study looked at such vertical movements in South
China from 2011 to 2019, using precise satellite positioning
data (GNSS) and satellite measurements of changes in Earth's
water storage (GRACE). Normally, the two types of data do not
match perfectly because the ground's response to changing water
load is delayed in time. We corrected for this timing difference
and found that the agreement between the two datasets improved,
especially in Guangxi, Guangdong, and Hainan. This shows that
adjusting for timing differences can improve the use of
satellite water storage data to explain local ground movements,
helping scientists better understand the role of water in
shaping the Earth's surface.}",
doi = {10.1016/j.asr.2026.01.101},
adsurl = {https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2026AdSpR..77.7669L},
adsnote = {Provided by the SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System}
}
Generated by
bib2html_grace.pl
(written by Patrick Riley
modified for this page by Volker Klemann) on
Fri Apr 10, 2026 11:13:49
GRACE-FO
Fri Apr 10, F. Flechtner