季节性变化导致地球周围的水重新分布,足以使地球的质心相对于其几何中心发生几分之一英寸的往复移动。NASA科学家正在追踪这些振荡,因为地球质心是卫星导航和高程测量的关键参考点。一个由……领导的团队
Seasonal changes redistribute enough water around Earth to shift the planet’s center of mass back and forth by fractions of an inch relative to its geometric center. NASA scientists are on the case, tracking the oscillations because Earth’s center of mass is a crucial reference point for satellite navigation and elevation measurements. A team, led […]
季节性变化在地球周围重新分配了足够多的水量,导致地球的质心相对于其几何中心发生几分之一英寸的来回偏移。NASA 科学家正在对此展开研究,追踪这些振荡现象,因为地球质心是卫星导航和高程测量的关键参考点。现有测量这种摆动幅度的方法精度如何?最近两次国际估算分别于 2017 年和 2023 年发布,两者相差 0.27 英寸(7 毫米),大约相当于三枚叠放的镍币的高度。这一差异几乎与运动本身的幅度相当。为减少不确定性,喷气推进实验室(JPL)地球科学家 Donald Argus 主导开发了一种基于超高精度卫星跟踪的新技术。在引力驱动下,卫星自然地绕地球质心运行,仿佛被无形的系绳束缚。卫星与地面站之间距离的微小变化反映了地球质心的移动。该研究的合著者、JPL 的 Felix Landerer 指出:“虽然这些移动看似微小,但我们的现代世界依赖于极其精确的定位测量。通过解析和理解改变参考系统的机制,我们可以构建更好的参考系统,最终惠及从全球航运物流到精准农业等领域的测绘和导航。”LAGEOS(激光地球动力学卫星 1 号和 2 号)是首颗专门用于高精度激光测距的航天器。LAGEOS 曾帮助……
Seasonal changes redistribute enough water around Earth to shift the planet’s center of mass back and forth by fractions of an inch relative to its geometric center. NASA scientists are on the case, tracking the oscillations because Earth’s center of mass is a crucial reference point for satellite navigation and elevation measurements. How accurate are existing methods to measure the size of the swivel? The last two international estimates, made in 2017 and 2023, differ by 0.27 inches (7 millimeters), about the height of three stacked nickels. The difference is almost as large as the motion itself. To reduce uncertainty, JPL geoscientist Donald Argus led the development of a new technique based on ultraprecise satellite tracking. Driven by gravity, satellites naturally orbit Earth’s center of mass, as if bound by invisible tethers. Tiny changes in the distance between satellites and ground stations reflect Earth’s shifting center of mass. Felix Landerer, one of the study’s coauthors at JPL, noted that “while these movements might appear tiny, our modern world relies on extremely accurate positioning measurements. By unraveling and understanding the mechanisms that change reference systems, we can build better reference systems that ultimately benefit mapping and navigation — from global shipping logistics to precision agriculture.” LAGEOS (LAser GEOdynamics Satellites 1 & 2) was the first spacecraft dedicated exclusively to high-precision laser ranging. LAGEOS has helped…