Determination ofM2ocean tide parameters from satellite orbit perturbations

A sequence of 80 mean inclinations obtained from successive 2-day orbital arcs of a U.S. Navy navigation satellite (1967-92A) has been used to obtain M2 ocean tide parameters. By assuming solid tide parameters of k2 = 0.30 and δ2 = 0° the implied observation equation on terms of order 2 and degree 2, 4, 6, …, is (3.8″±0.60) × 10−2 sin [wt + (331°±10°)] = (0.99″/cm) × 10−2 C22+ sin (wt + ε22+) + (0.94″/cm) × 10−2 C42+ sin (wt + ε42+) + …, where w = 1 cycle/13.58 days and t is the time in mean solar days from 1900.0. This observation agrees well with published numerical solutions of Laplace's tidal equation.