Seasonal Variation of GPS-Derived the Principal Ocean Tidal Constituents’ Loading Displacement Parameters Based on Moving Harmonic Analysis in Hong Kong

Abstract

The classical harmonic analysis (CHA) method only can be used to obtain the harmonic constants (amplitude and phase) of ocean tide loading displacement (OTLD). In fact, there are significant seasonal variations in the harmonic constants of OTLD. A moving harmonic analysis (MHA) method is proposed, which can effectively capture the seasonal variation of OTLD parameters. Based on 5 years of kinematic coordinate time series in direction U of six Global Positioning System (GPS) stations in Hong Kong, the MHA method is used to explore the seasonal variation of the OTLD parameters of the 6 principal tidal constituents (M2, S2, N2, K1, O1, Q1). The influence of mass loading on the seasonal variation of OTLD parameters is analyzed. The results show that there are obviously seasonal variations in OTLD parameters of the 6 principal tidal constituents in Hong Kong. The OTLD’s amplitude’s changes of the 6 principal tidal constituents are around 4–25.1% and the oscillation ranges of OTLD’s phase parameters vary from 8.8° to 20.4°. Among the seasonal variations of OTLD parameters, the annual signal, the semi-annual signal, and the ter-annual signal are the most significant. By analyzing the influence of atmospheric loading on the seasonal variation of OTLD parameters, it is found that atmospheric loading has certain contribution to the seasonal variation of OTLD parameters. Hydrological loading and non-tidal ocean loading have little influence on the seasonal variation of OTLD parameters.

Keywords

• ocean tide loading displacement
• seasonal variation
• GPS
• mass loading
• Hong Kong