Satellite Altimetry Sea Floor

A variety of parameters may be inferred via radar altimeter measurements including sea surface height and ocean topography the lateral extent of sea ice and the altitude of large icebergs above sea level the topography of land and ice sheets and even that of the sea floor the shape of the sea surface influenced by seafloor bathymetry.

Satellite altimetry sea floor. Global sea floor topography from satellite altimetry and ship depth soundings. This way of estimating depth we call altimetric bathymetry. Jason 2 product information handbook link pdf 3 9 mb jason 3 product information handbook link pdf 2 3 mb ostm jason 2 jason 3. We use satellite radar altimeter measurements of the ocean surface height sea level to infer the presence of mountains below.

The two main technologies still used today for large scale seafloor mapping satellite altimetry and multibeam sonar were developed in the 1970s. Because satellite altimetry observes sea level in a geocentric reference frame global mean sea level estimates derived from altimetry will not observe the increase in ocean volume due to ocean. Mountains on the sea floor add extra pull to earth s gravity field drawing more water around them and bulging the sea surface outward. The basis of satellite altimetry is the known process of emitting a radar pulse and measuring the time it takes for the reflection to be detected.

This product estimates the wave height from the shape and intensity of the altimeter radar echo representing 2 5 km footprint depending on sea state to within 10 or 0 5 meters whichever is greater. The biggest errors that mostly affect the altimetry derived sea level are the orbit errors and errors in the environmental and geophysical corrections applied. Satellite altimetry also. Smith is at the national oceanic and atmospheric administration code e oc 2 1315 east west highway silver spring md 20910 3282 usa.

193x193 animated globe of predicted topography 295kb. Estimated sea floor topography from satellite altimetry gif. A variety of parameters may be inferred using the information from radar altimeter measurements such as time varying sea surface height ocean topography the lateral extent of sea ice and altitude of large icebergs above sea level as well as the topography of land and ice sheets and even that of the sea floor.