Global mass flux solutions from GRACE: A comparison of parameter estimation strategies-Mass concentrations versus Stokes coefficients

The differences between mass concentration (mascon) parameters and standard Stokes coefficient parameters in the recovery of gravity information from gravity recovery and climate experiment (GRACE) intersatellite K-band range rate data are investigated. First, mascons are decomposed into their Stokes coefficient representations to gauge the range of solutions available using each of the two types of parameters. Next, a direct comparison is made between two time series of unconstrained gravity solutions, one based on a set of global equal area mascon parameters (equivalent to 4 degrees X 4 degrees at the equator), and the other based on standard Stokes coefficients with each time series using the same fundamental processing of the GRACE tracking data. It is shown that in unconstrained solutions, the type of gravity parameter being estimated does not qualitatively affect the estimated gravity field. It is also shown that many of the differences in mass flux derivations from GRACE gravity solutions arise from the type of smoothing being used and that the type of smoothing that can be embedded in mascon solutions has distinct advantages over postsolution smoothing. Finally, a 1 year time series based on global 2 degrees equal area mascons estimated every 10 days is presented.