XGM2019e is a combined global gravity field model represented by spheroidal harmonics up to degree and order (d/o) 5399, corresponding to a spatial resolution of 2′ (~ 4 km). As data sources, it includes the satellite model GOCO06s in the longer wavelength range up to d/o 300 combined with a ground gravity grid which also covers the shorter wavelengths. The ground data consist over land and ocean of gravity anomalies provided by courtesy of NGA (15′ resolution, identical to XGM2016) augmented with topographically derived gravity information over land (EARTH2014). Over the oceans, gravity anomalies derived from satellite altimetry are used (DTU13 with a resolution of 1′). The combination of the satellite data with the ground gravity observations is performed by using full normal equations up to d/o 719 (15′). Beyond d/o 719, a block-diagonal least squares solution is calculated for the high-resolution ground gravity data (from topography and altimetry). All calculations are performed in the spheroidal harmonic domain. In the spectral band up to d/o 719, the new model shows a slightly improved behaviour in the magnitude of a few mm RMS over land as compared to preceding models such as XGM2016, EIGEN6c4 or EGM2008 when validated with independent geoid information derived from GNSS/levelling. Over land and in the spectral range above d/o 719, the accuracy of XGM2019e marginally suffers from the sole use of topographic forward modelling, and geoid differences at GNSS/levelling stations are increased in the order of several mm RMS in well-surveyed areas, such as the US and Europe, compared to models containing real gravity data over their entire spectrum, e.g. EIGEN6c4 or EGM2008. However, GNSS/levelling validation also indicates that the performance of XGM2019e can be considered as globally more consistent and independent of existing high-resolution global models. Over the oceans, the model exhibits an enhanced performance (equal or better than preceding models), which is confirmed by comparison of the MDT's computed from CNES/CLS 2015 mean sea surface and the high-resolution geoid models. The MDT based on XGM2019e shows fewer artefacts, particularly in the coastal regions, and fits globally better to DTU17MDT which is considered as an independent reference MDT.

Traditionally, sea level is observed at tide gauge stations, which usually also serve as height reference stations for national leveling networks and therefore define a height system of a country. One of the main deficiencies to use tide gauge data for geodetic sea level research and height systems unification is that only a few stations are connected to the geometric network of a country by operating permanent GNSS receivers next to the tide gauge. As a new observation technique, absolute positioning by SAR using active transponders on ground can fill this gap by systematically observing time series of geometric heights at tide gauge stations. By additionally knowing the tide gauge geoid heights in a global height reference frame, one can finally obtain absolute sea level heights at each tide gauge. With this information the impact of climate change on the sea level can be quantified in an absolute manner and height systems can be connected across the oceans. First results from applying this technique at selected tide gauges at the Baltic coasts are promising but also exhibit some problems related to the new technique. The paper presents the concept of using the new observation type in an integrated sea level observing system and provides some early results for SAR positioning in the Baltic sea area.

We report our first results with Sentinel-1 Interferometric Wide Swath (IW) data using novel off-the-shelf electronic corner reflectors (ECRs) for geometric measurements with C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). At the German Aerospace Center (DLR) campus in Oberpfaffenhofen, we set up an arrangement consisting of two trihedral corner reflector and two active ECRs. We describe the practical aspects of such ECRs as well as first radiometric characteristics. Moreover, we present geometric accuracy as derived from imaging geodesy, i.e. absolute radargrammetric positioning in 2D and 3D, as well as interferometric phase measurements.

<p>SAR imaging geodesy is a new technique in the field of geodesy and remote sensing that enables the 3D localization of specifically designed radar targets. The absolute 3D position of a radar target in the ITRF can be estimated by means of least squares adjustment, when combining at least two sets of radar coordinates extracted from SAR images and the corresponding orbital arcs given by precise orbit determination. The installation of permanent radar targets allows for long-term position monitoring, making the technique a particularly interesting candidate for displacement and height change observations. While the principle of geodetic positioning with SAR is well-established, the selection of the radar target suitable for an application is subject to discussion. Parameters to be considered are the resolution of the radar images which can be provided by satellites like Sentinel-1 or TerraSAR-X, the size of the radar target with respect to the image resolution, the required localization accuracy of the selected application, and possible environmental and/or technical limitations at the installation site. Two main categories of artificial radar targets can be identified: passive reflectors and active transponders. Examples of passive reflectors that have been tested at geodetic observatories are corner reflectors, octahedron reflectors and tophats, while an example of active transponders is the experimental Electronic Corner Reflector (ECR).</p><p>The poster illustrates the first results acquired from the testing of ECRs operating in C-band, and their 3D localization using the IW medium resolution products of Sentinel-1A and 1B. The operation principle, the installation and mounting options, and the use of the ECRs as a small and portable alternative to passive reflectors are additionally discussed.</p>

<p>The Dynamic ocean Topography (DT) describes the deviation of the true ocean surface from a hypothetical equilibrium state ocean at rest forced by gravity alone. With the geostrophic surface currents obtained from its gradients the DT is an essential parameter for describing the ocean dynamics. Observation-based global temporal Mean geodetic DTs (MDTs) are obtained from the difference of altimetric Mean Sea Surface (MSS) and the geoid height, that equipotential surface of gravity closest to the ocean surface.</p><p>The geoid is provided either as a satellite-only, or a combined model including in addition gravity anomalies derived from satellite altimetry and ground data. In recent years the focus was on satellite-only models, produced from new space-born observations obtained from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and Gravity field and Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite missions. Moreover, combined geoid models are only cautiously used for MDT calculation, since it is still in question to what extent the gravity information obtained from altimetry is distorted by the MDT information included therein and how this translates into errors of the MDT.</p><p>Here we want to concentrate on MDT models based on recent combined geoid models. An assessment is provided based on comparisons to near-surface drifter data from the Global Drifter Program (GDP). Besides providing a general, global assessment, we focus on signal content on small scales, addressing mainly two questions: 1) Do MDTs obtained from combined geoid models contain signal for scales smaller than resolvable by the<br>satellite-only models? 2) Is there a maximum resolution beyond which no signal is detectable?</p><p>Until recently, these questions couldn't be answered since low resolution MDTs usually contained strong wavy-structured errors and thus needed a strong spatial filtering thereby killing the smallest scales resolved in the MDT. These errors, which worsen with lower resolution, are caused by Gibbs effects provoked by imperfections in bringing the high resolution ocean-only MSS models into spectral consistency with the much lower resolved global geoid model. A new methodology, however, improves the necessary globalization of the MSS. After subtraction of the geoid model, subsequent cutting-off the signal beyond a specific spherical harmonic degree and order (d/o) results in an MDT without any Gibbs effects, also for low resolution models.</p><p>To answer the questions posed above applying the new methodology, the scale-dependent signal in MDTs for different geoid models is presented for a list of cut off d/os. To minimize the influence of noise on the results we concentrate on strong signal Western Boundary Currents like the Gulf Stream and the Kuroshio. For the Gulf Stream results of a high resolution hydrodynamic model are available and presented as an independent method to estimate the scale dependent signal.</p>