2026 Byron D Tapley: Earth Science Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Earth Science	75	696	615	335	285	291	25218

Research.com Recognitions

2018 - NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal
1987 - Member of the National Academy of Engineering For exceptional contributions to orbit determination theory, significant applications to satellite geodesy and oceanography, and leadership in engineering education.
1984 - Fellow of American Geophysical Union (AGU)
1968 - Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Overview

Byron D Tapley is affiliated with The University of Texas at Austin in the United States. Their research spans multiple disciplines, primarily within Earth and Planetary Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, and Engineering. The scientist has contributed notably to subfields such as Oceanography, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Aerospace Engineering, Molecular Biology, and Geophysics.

Their primary research topics include Geophysics and Gravity Measurements, GNSS positioning and interference, Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics, Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics, Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies, Geophysical and Geoelectrical Methods, and Cryospheric studies and observations.

Byron D Tapley has published research in a range of academic venues, with frequent appearances in:

Geophysical Research Letters
Journal of Geodesy
Water Resources Research
Journal of Geophysical Research Solid Earth
Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets

Their recent published papers include:

Global Ocean Mass Change From GRACE and GRACE Follow-On and Altimeter and Argo Measurements, 2020, Geophysical Research Letters
Basin-Scale River Runoff Estimation From GRACE Gravity Satellites, Climate Models, and In Situ Observations: A Case Study in the Amazon Basin, 2020, Water Resources Research
Error Assessment of GRACE and GRACE Follow-On Mass Change, 2021, Journal of Geophysical Research Solid Earth
Rapid Mass Loss in West Antarctica Revealed by Swarm Gravimetry in the Absence of GRACE, 2021, Geophysical Research Letters
Assessment of degree-2 order-1 gravitational changes from GRACE and GRACE Follow-on, Earth rotation, satellite laser ranging, and models, 2021, Journal of Geodesy

Frequent collaborators include Jianli Chen, Clark R. Wilson, Ki-Weon Seo, Himanshu Save, and J. Encarnação. Tapley's coauthorship with Jianli Chen is notable with multiple joint publications.

The scientist has received several awards recognizing their contributions to the field, including:

NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, 2018
Member of the National Academy of Engineering, 1987, for exceptional contributions to orbit determination theory, satellite geodesy and oceanography, and leadership in engineering education
Fellow of American Geophysical Union (AGU), 1984
Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 1968

Best Publications

The gravity recovery and climate experiment: Mission overview and early results

Byron D Tapley;Srinivas V Bettadpur;M. Watkins;C. Reigber

3347
Citations
GRACE measurements of mass variability in the Earth system.

Byron D. Tapley;Srinivas Bettadpur;John C. Ries;Paul F. Thompson

2998
Citations
High-resolution CSR GRACE RL05 mascons

Himanshu Save;Srinivas Bettadpur;Byron D. Tapley

1323
Citations
Contributions of GRACE to understanding climate change.

Byron D. Tapley;Michael M. Watkins;Frank Flechtner;Christoph Reigber

941
Citations
GGM02 - An Improved Earth Gravity Field Model from GRACE

B. D. Tapley;J. C. Ries;S. Bettadpur;Don P. Chambers

844
Citations
Variations in the Earth's oblateness during the past 28 years

Minkang Cheng;Byron D. Tapley

688
Citations
Satellite Gravity Measurements Confirm Accelerated Melting of Greenland Ice Sheet

J. L. Chen;C. R. Wilson;B. D. Tapley

590
Citations
The Joint Gravity Model 3

B. D. Tapley;M. M. Watkins;M. M. Watkins;J. C. Ries;G. W. Davis;G. W. Davis

501
Citations
Deceleration in the Earth's oblateness

Minkang Cheng;Byron D. Tapley;John C. Ries

468
Citations
Secular variation of earth's gravitational harmonic J2 coefficient from Lageos and nontidal acceleration of earth rotation

C. F. Yoder;J. G. Williams;J. O. Dickey;Bob E Schutz

454
Citations
Accelerated Antarctic ice loss from satellite gravity measurements

Jianli Chen;Clark R Wilson;Donald D Blankenship;Byron D Tapley

419
Citations
Precision orbit determination for TOPEX/POSEIDON

B. D. Tapley;J. C. Ries;G. W. Davis;R. J. Eanes

401
Citations
The 2009 exceptional Amazon flood and interannual terrestrial water storage change observed by GRACE

Jianli Chen;Clark R Wilson;Byron D Tapley

373
Citations
2005 drought event in the Amazon River basin as measured by GRACE and estimated by climate models

Jianli Chen;Clark R Wilson;Byron D Tapley;Zong-Liang Yang

371
Citations
Anomalous warming in the Indian Ocean coincident with El Niño

D. P. Chambers;Byron D Tapley;R. H. Stewart

339
Citations
GRACE detects coseismic and postseismic deformation from the Sumatra‐Andaman earthquake

J. L. Chen;C. R. Wilson;B. D. Tapley;S. Grand

331
Citations
Variations of the Earth's figure axis from satellite laser ranging and GRACE

Minkang Cheng;John C. Ries;Byron D. Tapley

304
Citations
Gravity model development for TOPEX/POSEIDON: Joint gravity models 1 and 2

R. S. Nerem;F. J. Lerch;J. A. Marshall;E. C. Pavlis

292
Citations
Altimetry for the future: building on 25 years of progress

Saleh Abdalla;Abdolnabi Abdeh Kolahchi;Michaël Ablain;Susheel Adusumilli

281
Citations
Contribution of ice sheet and mountain glacier melt to recent sea level rise

Jianli Chen;Clark R Wilson;Byron D Tapley

255
Citations
Earth radiation pressure effects on satellites

P. C. Knocke;J. C. Ries;B. D. Tapley

244
Citations

Frequent Co-Authors

John C Ries The University of Texas at Austin

C. K. Shum The Ohio State University

Jianli Chen Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Clark R. Wilson The University of Texas at Austin

Michael M. Watkins California Institute of Technology

Don P. Chambers University of South Florida St. Petersburg

R. S. Nerem University of Colorado Boulder

F. Flechtner Helmholtz Centre Potsdam - GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences

Christoph Reigber Helmholtz Centre Potsdam - GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences

Torsten Schmidt Helmholtz Centre Potsdam - GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences

External Links

Personal website of Byron D Tapley

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