NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Satellite laser ranging (SLR) observations are routinely applied toward the estimation of dynamic oblateness, C20 , which is the largest globally integrated component of Earth's time-variable gravity field. Since 2002, GRACE and GRACE Follow-On have revolutionized the recovery of higher spatial resolution features of global time-variable gravity, with SLR continuing to provide the most reliable estimates of C20 . We quantify the effect of various SLR processing strategies on estimating C20 and demonstrate better signal recovery with the inclusion of GRACE-derived low-degree gravity information in the forward model. This improved SLR product modifies the Antarctic and Greenland Ice Sheet mass trends by −15.4 and −3.5 Gt/year, respectively, as compared to CSR TN11, and improves global mean sea level budget closure by modifying sea level rise by +0.08 mm/year. We recommend that this new C20 product be applied to RL06 GRACE data products for enhanced accuracy and scientific interpretation.