Constraints on energy dissipation in the Earth's body tide from satellite tracking and altimetry

doi:10.1046/j.1365-246x.2001.00356.x

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Wiley InterScience

Geophysical Journal International

Volume 144 Issue 2, Pages 471 - 480

Published Online: 9 Oct 2008

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Constraints on energy dissipation in the Earth's body tide from satellite tracking and altimetry

Richard D. Ray, ¹ Richard J. Eanes ² and Frank G. Lemoine ¹

¹ Space Geodesy Branch, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA. E‐mail: richard.ray@gsfc.nasa.gov
² Center for Space Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA

KEYWORDS

Earth tides • Love number • ocean tides • Q • tides

ABSTRACT

SUMMARY

The phase lag by which the Earth's body tide follows the tidal potential is estimated for the principal lunar semi‐diurnal tide M₂. The estimate results from combining recent tidal solutions from satellite tracking data and from Topex/Poseidon satellite altimeter data. Each data type is sensitive to the body tide lag: gravitationally for the tracking solutions, geometrically for the altimetry. Allowance is made for the lunar atmospheric tide. For the tidal potential Love number k₂, we obtain a lag ε of 0.20°±0.05°, implying an effective body tide Q of 280 and body tide energy dissipation of 110±25 GW.

Accepted 2000 August 29. Received in original form 2000 May 15

DIGITAL OBJECT IDENTIFIER (DOI)

10.1046/j.1365-246x.2001.00356.x About DOI