Time Series Analysis of Long-term Terrestrial Water Storage over Canada from GRACE Satellites Using Principal Component Analysis

Abstract. Principal component analysis (PCA) is a statistical technique widely used in remote sensing, yet few studies have addressed the physical meaning of component images. Using PCA, this study analyzed the long-term (2003–2013) monthly terrestrial water storage (TWS) over Canada time series dataset from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission. The principal components were physically explained through establishing the …