[IGSREPORT-8292] Wk 1115 GPS Earth Orientation

[Dennis McCarthy]

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IGS Electronic Report   24 May 11:38:07 PDT 2001      Message Number 8292
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Author: IERS Rapid Service/Prediction Center
Subject: Earth Orientation Contributions to IERS Bulletin A
Date: 24 May 01


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

SPbU Int.    52047.80    20                .002                .017

GSFC Int.    52050.80    20                .004                .014

IAA VLBI     52038.25     5   -.12   .13  -.001    .16   .05   .003

GSFC VLBI    52038.00     5   -.07   .00  -.001    .09   .03   .003

CSR SLR      52049.95    10    .01   .09  -.058*   .39   .30   .173*

TUD SLR      52047.00    10   -.12   .32           .34   .39

IAA SLR      52051.00    30   -.10   .19           .19   .16

MCC SLR      52046.00    30    .06   .11           .14   .12

UTX LLR      51867.16     5                .006                .225

IGS Final    52034.50    30    .04  -.02           .06   .05

IGS Rapid    52053.50    19    .00  -.01           .05   .06

             52053.50     2                .011*               .008*

USNO GPS     52052.75    32               -.005*               .018*

EMR GPS      52052.50    22                .005*               .033*

* 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          52048.5  30   -.01   .18  -9.19   .011    .10   .06    .13   .012

ESA          52048.5  30   -.01   .30         -.025    .14   .10          .027

EMR          52041.5  30   -.03   .27 -17.97  -.024    .11   .12    .11   .029

GFZ          52048.5  30    .01   .26   2.21  -.003    .10   .10   1.21   .031

JPL          52048.5  30    .06   .25 -18.41   .020    .10   .09    .25   .046

NGS          52048.5  30   -.11   .10         -.023    .17   .22          .046

SIO          52041.5  23    .08   .21          .006    .08   .08          .022

USN (Rapid)  52049.5  29    .04   .31         -.029    .14   .13          .031

USNO GPS UT  52052.5  30                 .02                        .03

IGS Final    52034.5  30    .05   .23    .00   .000    .07   .05    .02   .026

IGS Rapid    52051.5  30    .03   .24    .00  -.001    .08   .06    .11   .029

* 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   52004.   30    .00   .03   .003           .05   .04   .026

97C04        52052.   30    .02   .08  -.003           .08   .08   .017


Plots of the residuals are available at http://maia.usno.navy.mil/plots.html.
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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