A New Knowledge Portal on Mass Transport Satellite Missions: www.globalwaterstorage.info

Dedicated satellite gravity missions orbiting the Earth at very low altitudes have greatly improved our knowledge about mass transport processes. That includes the terrestrial water cycle, ice sheet and glacier dynamics, ocean mass variability, and changes deep within the solid Earth, like the adjustment in the upper mantle in response to massive deglaciations since the last ice age. Initiated with the original GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) mission launched in 2002, the record of monthly gravity fields now spans 22 years and is still being extended by GRACE-FO which has been in orbit since 2018. To enhance the visibility of the missions within society and to inform about the various contributions of GRACE/GRACE-FO to various scientific fields, GFZ  is maintaining a new knowledge portal accessible via www.globalwaterstorage.info.

On the one hand, this new portal provides overview information on satellite technology, various geophysical applications, and the numerous industrial and scientific partners who were vital for the success of the GRACE/GRACE-FO missions with the specific aim of informing European stakeholders. On the other hand, we also work towards developing the portal into a publicity channel for the gravimetry community to highlight recent developments towards future satellite missions or new research insights  based on mission data. International colleagues interested in advertising their latest achievements through a blog post (ca. 5000 characters) in the knowledge portal are kindly invited to contact globalwaterstorage@gfz-potsdam.de.