Satellite Altimetry Sea Floor

We use satellite radar altimeter measurements of the ocean surface height sea level to infer the presence of mountains below.

Satellite altimetry sea floor.

This way of estimating depth we call altimetric bathymetry. The two main technologies still used today for large scale seafloor mapping satellite altimetry and multibeam sonar were developed in the 1970s. The biggest errors that mostly affect the altimetry derived sea level are the orbit errors and errors in the environmental and geophysical corrections applied. 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 also. 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. 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. Mountains on the sea floor add extra pull to earth s gravity field drawing more water around them and bulging the sea surface outward.

112x112 animated globe of predicted topography 140kb gif. 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. Smith david t. Both offered immense improvements over single beam sonar because they collect data over broad areas rather than distinct spots minimizing the need for interpolation.

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. 193x193 animated globe of predicted topography 295kb. 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.