Assessment of ZTD derived from ECMWF/NCEP data with GPS ZTD over China

The accuracy and feasibility of computing the zenith tropospheric delays (ZTDs) from data of the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the United States National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) are studied. The ZTDs are calculated from ECMWF/NCEP pressure-level data by integration and from the surface data with the Saastamoinen model method and then compared with the solutions measured from 28 global positioning system (GPS) stations of the Crustal Movement Observation Network of China (CMONOC) for 1 year. The results are as follows: (1) the error of the integration method is 1-3 cm less than that of the Saastamoinen model method. The agreement between the ECMWF ZTD and GPS ZTD is better than that between NCEP ZTD and GPS ZTD; (2) the bias and root mean square difference (RMSD), especially the latter, have a seasonal variation, and the RMSD decreases with increasing altitude while the variation with latitude is not obvious; and (3) when using the full horizontal resolution of 0. 5° × 0. 5° of the ECMWF meteorological data in place of a reduced 2. 5° × 2. 5° grid, the mean RMSD between GPS and ECMWF ZTD decreases by 4. 5 mm. These results illuminated the accuracy and feasibility of computing the tropospheric delays and establishing the ZTD prediction model over China for navigation and positioning with ECMWF and NCEP data.