[IGSREPORT-7858] Wk 1094 GPS Earth Orientation

[Dennis McCarthy]

******************************************************************************
IGS Electronic Report   28 Dec 11:36:23 PST 2000      Message Number 7858
******************************************************************************

Author: IERS Rapid Service/Prediction Center
Subject: Earth Orientation Contributions to IERS Bulletin A
Date: 28 Dec 00


In this report, individual Earth orientation time series are compared
to the IERS Bulletin A combination.  For further information, including
the raw time series, refer to http://maia.usno.navy.mil/bulletin-a.html.

The first table below shows some comparison results for those series
included in Bulletin A during the last 30 days.  All data are aligned to
the system defined by ITRF94 and the current ICRF by removing a priori mean
bias, rate, annual and semiannual terms.

Units: milliseconds of arc for x, y; milliseconds of time for UT1-UTC

Contributor   Latest      #         Mean          Standard Deviation
Series         Day               (series-BullA)
                                x     y  UT1-UTC    x     y  UT1-UTC

NEOS Int.    51882.80    12               -.009                .013

SPbU Int.    51893.80    16               -.002                .018

GSFC Int.    51899.80    15                .010                .023

NEOS VLBI    51863.25     4   -.20   .12   .006    .07   .12   .008

IAA VLBI     51891.25     5   -.01   .14   .000    .12   .14   .004

GSFC VLBI    51891.00     5    .06  -.02   .003    .16   .07   .004

CSR SLR      51902.21    11   -.12  -.01   .018*   .64   .54   .156*

TUD SLR      51900.00    10   -.02  -.01           .32   .26

IAA SLR      51904.00    30   -.43   .06           .50   .25

MCC SLR      51899.00    30    .15  -.17           .17   .21

UTX LLR      51867.16     5                .011                .224

IGS Final    51887.50    30    .01  -.01           .02   .03

IGS Rapid    51906.50    18    .01  -.03           .03   .10

             51906.50     6                .003*               .010*

USNO GPS     51905.75    32               -.002*               .009*

* All satellite techniques provide information on the rate of change of
  Universal Time contaminated by effects due to unmodelled orbit node
  motion.  VLBI-based results have been used to minimize drifts in UT
  estimates.


The following tables show comparisons for other related time series during
the last 30 days.  All IGS series are final solutions except for the USNO
series.  No a priori systematic corrections have been applied.

Units: milliseconds of arc for x, y; milliseconds of time for UT, LOD 

IGS           Latest   #              Mean                Standard Deviation
Series         Day               (series-BullA)
                             x     y     UT*    LOD*    x     y      UT*   LOD*

COD          51901.5  30    .15   .11  -7.93   .004    .09   .08    .07   .012

ESA          51894.5  30    .06   .26         -.018    .08   .09          .021

EMR          51894.5  30    .08   .13 -23.29  -.027    .16   .14    .46   .022

GFZ          51894.5  30   -.02   .26   -.02   .004    .07   .06    .05   .018

JPL          51894.5  30    .01   .21 -19.90  -.017    .08   .07    .15   .026

NGS          51895.5  30    .02   .22         -.032    .14   .20          .047

SIO          51894.5  30   -.06   .25          .001    .08   .05          .016

USN (Rapid)  51905.5  30    .19   .30         -.017    .12   .12          .027

USNO GPS UT  51905.5  30                 .20                        .02

IGS Final    51887.5  30    .02   .24    .00   .003    .06   .05    .01   .019

IGS Rapid    51905.5  30    .07   .21   -.01   .001    .09   .10    .04   .016

* All satellite techniques provide information on the rate of change of
  Universal Time contaminated by effects due to unmodelled orbit node
  motion.  The UT results for COD and JPL are integrations of LOD estimates.
  EMR estimates UT and LOD separately by applying a priori orbit constraints.
  GFZ and IGS use VLBI-based results to minimize drifts in their UT estimates
  and thus the standard deviations are not representative of the intrinsic
  capabilities of GPS alone for monitoring UT variations.  USNO estimates
  UT using long-term models for orbit plane rotations.


IERS Earth Orientation Center Series:

Series       Latest    #          Mean                Standard Deviation
              Day            (series-BullA)
                             x     y  UT1-UTC           x     y  UT1-UTC

Bulletin B   51849.   30    .00   .00  -.008           .05   .03   .056

97C04        51906.   30    .03   .09   .010           .05   .10   .028


Plots of the residuals are available at http://maia.usno.navy.mil/plots.html.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The IERS Rapid Service/Prediction Center is an activity of the Earth
Orientation Department at the U.S. Naval Observatory.
--
Dennis D. McCarthy                       dmc at maia.usno.navy.mil
Director, Directorate of Time            phone: (202) 762-1837
U.S. Naval Observatory                   fax: (202) 762-1563
Washington, DC 20392-5420