Acta Geodaetica et Cartographica Sinica ›› 2025, Vol. 54 ›› Issue (9): 1537-1560.doi: 10.11947/j.AGCS.2025.20250274

• Review •     Next Articles

Satellite gravity technology oriented towards data-scenario-model driven approach: developments, challenges and outlook

Jiancheng LI1(), Yunlong WU2(), Yibing YAO3, Zhicai LUO4   

  1. 1.Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
    2.School of Geography and Information Engineering, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430074, China
    3.School of Geodesy and Geomatics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
    4.National Gravitation Laboratory, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
  • Received:2025-07-08 Revised:2025-09-15 Online:2025-10-10 Published:2025-10-10
  • Contact: Yunlong WU E-mail:jcli@whu.edu.cn;wuyunlong@cug.edu.cn
  • About author:LI Jiancheng (1964—), male, professor, academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, majors in satellite geodesy and physical geodesy. E-mail: jcli@whu.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    The National Natural Science Foundation of China(42192530)

Abstract:

Satellite gravimetry, as a major breakthrough in modern geodesy, has demonstrated strong capabilities in capturing mass variations in the Earth's surface and subsurface layers. It has been widely applied in critical fields such as geodetic surveying, hydrological cycle monitoring, glacier mass balance, sea level change, and tectonic deformation. This study systematically reviews the evolution of gravity satellite missions from CHAMP and GRACE to GRACE-FO and Chinese gravity satellite programs, with a particular focus on next-generation satellite gravimetry missions and emerging trends in quantum-based gravity satellite concepts. Based on this, the study comprehensively summarizes the data processing pipeline from Level-0 to Level-3, key inversion methodologies, and science product development. Application cases are presented across hydrology, cryosphere, oceanography, seismology, and geoid refinement. Furthermore, major challenges in China's current gravimetry application system are identified, including data quality limitations, multi-source signal separation, lack of interpretability in AI-based models, and barriers to interdisciplinary integration. Finally, the study calls for synergistic innovation driven by “data-scenario-model” integration to support multi-satellite networks and high-precision modeling in service of national strategic needs and global sustainable development.

Key words: satellite gravimetry technology, Chinese gravity satellite, quantum gravity satellite

CLC Number: