Absolute Calibration of the Jason-1 Altimeter Using UK Tide Gauges

This article describes an “absolute” calibration of Jason-1 (J-1) altimeter sea surface height bias using a method developed for TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P) bias determination reported previously. The method makes use of U.K. tide gauges equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers to measure sea surface heights at the same time, and in the same geocentric reference frame, as Jason-1 altimetric heights recorded in the nearby ocean. The main time-dependent components of the observed altimeter-minus-gauge height-difference time series are due to the slightly different ocean tides at the gauge and in the ocean. The main harmonic coefficients of the tide differences are calculated from analysis of the copious TOPEX data set and then applied to the determination of T, P, and J-1 bias in turn. Datum connections between the tide gauge and altimetric sea surface heights are made by means of precise, local geoid differences from the EGG97 model. By these means, we have estimated Jason-1 altimeter bias determined from Geophysical Data Record (GDR) data for cycles 1–61 to be 12.9 cm, with an accuracy estimated to be approximately 3 cm on the basis of our earlier work. This J-1 bias value is in close agreement with those determined by other groups, which provides a further confirmation of the validity of our method and of its potential for application in other parts of the world where suitable tide gauge, GPS, and geoid information exist.     

SARAL/AltiKa Absolute Calibration from the Multi-Mission Corsica Facilities

The geodetic Corsica site was set up in 1998 in order to perform altimeter calibration of the TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P) mission and subsequently, Jason-1 and OSTM/Jason-2. The scope of the site was widened in 2005 in order to undertake the calibration of the Envisat mission and most recently of SARAL/AltiKa. Here we present the first results from the latter mission using both indirect and direct calibration/validation approaches. The indirect approach utilizes a coastal tide gauge and, as a consequence, the altimeter derived sea surface height (SSH) needs to be corrected for the geoid slope. The direct approach utilizes a novel GPS-based system deployed offshore under the satellite ground track that permits a direct comparison with the altimeter derived SSH. The advantages and disadvantages of both systems (GPS-based and tide gauges) and methods (direct or indirect) will be described and discussed. Our results for O/IGD-R data show a very good consistency for these three kinds of products: their derived absolute SSH biases are consistent within 17 mm and their associated standard deviation ranges from 31 to 35 mm. The AltiKa absolute SSH bias derived from GPS-zodiac measurement using the direct method is ?54 ±10 mm based on the first 13 cycles.     

Absolute Calibration of Jason-1 and TOPEX/Poseidon Altimeters in Corsica Special Issue: Jason-1 Calibration/Validation

The double geodetic Corsica site, which includes Ajaccio-Aspretto and Cape Senetosa (40 km south Ajaccio) in the western Mediterranean area, has been chosen to permit the absolute calibration of radar altimeters. It has been developed since 1998 at Cape Senetosa and, in addition to the use of classical tide gauges, a GPS buoy is deployed every 10 days under the satellites ground track (10 km off shore) since 2000. The 2002 absolute calibration campaign made from January to September in Corsica revealed the necessity of deploying different geodetic techniques on a dedicated site to reach an accuracy level of a few mm: in particular, the French Transportable Laser Ranging System (FTLRS) for accurate orbit determination, and various geodetic equipment as well as a local marine geoid, for monitoring the local sea level and mean sea level. TOPEX/Poseidon altimeter calibration has been performed from cycle 208 to 365 using M-GDR products, whereas Jason-1 altimeter calibration used cycles from 1 to 45 using I-GDR products. For Jason-1, improved estimates of sea-state bias and columnar atmospheric wet path delay as well as the most precise orbits available have been used. The goal of this article is to give synthetic results of the analysis of the different error sources for the tandem phase and for the whole studied period, as geophysical corrections, orbits and reference frame, sea level, and finally altimeter biases. Results are at the millimeter level when considering one year of continuous monitoring; they show a great consistency between both satellites with biases of 6 ± 3 mm (ALT-B) and 120 ± 7 mm, respectively, for TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1.     

Absolute Calibration of TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1 Using GPS Buoys in Bass Strait, Australia

An absolute calibration of the TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P) and Jason-1 altimeters has been undertaken during the dedicated calibration phase of the Jason-1 mission, in Bass Strait, Australia. The present study incorporates several improvements to the earlier calibration methodology used for Bass Strait, namely the use of GPS buoys and the determination of absolute bias in a purely geometrical sense, without the necessity of estimating a marine geoid. This article focuses on technical issues surrounding the GPS buoy methodology for use in altimeter calibration studies. We present absolute bias estimates computed solely from the GPS buoy deployments and derive formal uncertainty estimates for bias calculation from a single overflight at the 40-45 mm level. Estimates of the absolute bias derived from the GPS buoys is -10 ± 19 mm for T/P and +147 ± 21 mm for Jason-1 (MOE orbit) and +131 ± 21 mm for Jason-1 (GPS orbit). Considering the estimated error budget, our bias values are equivalent to other determinations from the dedicated NASA and CNES calibration sites.     

Absolute Calibration of Jason-1 and TOPEX/Poseidon Altimeters in Corsica

The double geodetic Corsica site, which includes Ajaccio-Aspretto and Cape Senetosa (40 km south Ajaccio) in the western Mediterranean area, has been chosen to permit the absolute calibration of radar altimeters. It has been developed since 1998 at Cape Senetosa and, in addition to the use of classical tide gauges, a GPS buoy is deployed every 10 days under the satellites ground track (10 km off shore) since 2000. The 2002 absolute calibration campaign made from January to September in Corsica revealed the necessity of deploying different geodetic techniques on a dedicated site to reach an accuracy level of a few mm: in particular, the French Transportable Laser Ranging System (FTLRS) for accurate orbit determination, and various geodetic equipment as well as a local marine geoid, for monitoring the local sea level and mean sea level. TOPEX/Poseidon altimeter calibration has been performed from cycle 208 to 365 using M-GDR products, whereas Jason-1 altimeter calibration used cycles from 1 to 45 using I-GDR products. For Jason-1, improved estimates of sea-state bias and columnar atmospheric wet path delay as well as the most precise orbits available have been used. The goal of this article is to give synthetic results of the analysis of the different error sources for the tandem phase and for the whole studied period, as geophysical corrections, orbits and reference frame, sea level, and finally altimeter biases. Results are at the millimeter level when considering one year of continuous monitoring; they show a great consistency between both satellites with biases of 6 ± 3 mm (ALT-B) and 120 ± 7 mm, respectively, for TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1.     

Leveling the Sea Surface Using a GPS-Catamaran Special Issue: Jason-1 Calibration/Validation

In the framework of the TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1 CNES-NASA missions, two probative experiments have been conducted at the Corsica absolute calibration site in order to determine the local marine geoid slope under the ascending TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1 ground track (No. 85). An improved determination of the geoid slope was needed to better extrapolate the offshore (open-ocean) altimetric data to on-shore tide-gauge locations. This in turn improves the overall precision of the calibration process. The first experiment, in 1998, used GPS buoys. Because the time required to cover the extended area with GPS buoys was thought to be prohibitive, we decided to build a catamaran with two GPS systems onboard. Tracked by a boat at a constant speed, this innovative system permitted us to cover an area of about 20 km long and 5.4 km wide centered on the satellites' ground track. Results from an experiment in 1999 show very good consistency between GPS receivers: filtered sea-surface height differences have a mean bias of ?0.2 cm and a standard deviation of 1.2 cm. No systematic error or distortions have been observed and crossover differences have a mean value of 0.2 cm with a standard deviation of 2.7 cm. Comparisons with tide gauges data show a bias of 1.9 cm with a standard deviation of less than 0.5 cm. However, this bias, attributable in large part to the effect of the catamaran speed on the waterline, does not affect the geoid slope determination which is used in the altimeter calibration process. The GPS-deduced geoid slope was then incorporated in the altimeter calibration process, yielding a significant improvement (from 4.9 to 3.3 cm RMS) in the agreement of altimeter bias determinations from repeated overflight measurements.     

TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1: Absolute Calibration in Bass Strait, Australia

Updated absolute calibration results from Bass Strait, Australia, are presented for the TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P) and Jason-1 altimeter missions. Data from an oceanographic mooring array and coastal tide gauge have been used in addition to the previously described episodic GPS buoy deployments. The results represent a significant improvement in absolute bias estimates for the Bass Strait site. The extended methodology has allowed comparison between the altimeter and in situ data on a cycle-by-cycle basis over the duration of the dedicated calibration phase (formation flight period) of the Jason-1 mission. In addition, it has allowed absolute bias results to be extended to include all cycles since the T/P launch, and all Jason-1 data up to cycle 60. Updated estimates and formal 1-sigma uncertainties of the absolute bias computed throughout the formation flight period are 0 ± 14 mm for T/P and +152 + 13 mm for Jason-1 (for the GDR POE orbits). When JPL GPS orbits are used for cycles 1 to 60, the Jason-1 bias estimate is 131 mm, virtually identical to the NASA estimate from the Harvest Platform off California calculated with the GPS orbits and not significantly different to the CNES estimate from Corsica. The inference of geographically correlated errors in the GDR POE orbits (estimated to be approximately 17 mm at Bass Strait) highlights the importance of maintaining globally distributed verification sites and makes it clear that further work is required to improve our understanding of the Jason-1 instrument and algorithm behavior.     

基于GPS浮标的高度计海面高度产品检验技术进展

主要介绍了卫星高度计在海洋学研究中的意义、高度计的定标原理、定标方法和国际主要的高度计定标试验场。结合卫星高度计定标的特点,着重介绍了GPS浮标在高度计定标中的优势、技术难点以及解决方法等,旨在为海洋二号卫星的高度计定标技术提供依据。     

Calibration of JASON-1 Altimeter over Lake Erie Special Issue: Jason-1 Calibration/Validation

This article describes absolute calibration results for both JASON-1 and TOPEX Side B (TSB) altimeters obtained at the Lake Erie calibration site, Marblehead, Ohio, USA. Using 15 overflights, the estimated JASON altimeter bias at Marblehead is 58 ± 38 mm, with an uncertainty of 19 mm based on detailed error analysis. Assuming that the TSB bias is negligible, relative bias estimates using both data from the TSB-JASON formation flight period and data from 48 water level gauges around the entire Great Lakes confirmed the Marblehead results. Global analyses using both the formation flight data and dual-satellite (TSB and JASON) crossovers yield a similar relative bias estimate of 146 ± 59 mm, which agrees well with open ocean absolute calibration results obtained at Harvest, Corsica, and Bass Strait (e.g., Watson et al. 2003). We find that there is a strong dependence of bias estimates on the choice of sea state bias (SSB) models. Results indicate that the invariant JASON instrument bias estimated oceanwide is 71 mm, with additional biases of 76 mm or 28 mm contributed by the choice of Collecte Localisation Satellites (CLS) SSB or Center for Space Research (CSR) SSB model, respectively. Similar analysis in the Great Lakes yields the invariant JASON instrument bias at 19 mm, with the SSB contributed biases at 58 mm or 13 mm, respectively. The reason for the discrepancy is currently unknown and warrants further investigation. Finally, comparison of the TOPEX/POSEIDON mission (1992–2002) data with the Great Lakes water level gauge measurements yields a negligible TOPEX altimeter drift of 0.1 mm/yr.     

Ibiza Absolute Calibration Experiment: Survey and Preliminary Results

Within the framework of a project comprising part of the Spanish Space Program related to the JASON-1 CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales)/NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) mission, a campaign was conducted from June 9–17, 2003, on the Absolute Calibration Site of the island of Ibiza. The objective was to determine the local marine geoid slope under the ascending (187) and descending (248) Jason-1 ground tracks, in order to allow a better extrapolation of the open-ocean altimetric data with on-shore tide gauge locations, and thereby improve the overall precision of the calibration process. For this we have used a catamaran with two GPS antennas onboard, following the Corsica/Senetosa design (Bonnefond et al. 2003a Bonnefond, P., Exertier, P., Laurain, O., Menard, Y., Orsoni, A., Jeansou, E., Haines, B., Kubitschek, D. and Born, G. 2003a. Leveling Sea Surface using a GPS catamaran. Marine Geodesy, 26(3–4): 319–334. [Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). Five GPS reference stations were deployed in order to reduce the distance between the areas covered by the catamaran and the fixed GPS receiver used in the kinematic process. The geodetic activities (e.g., GPS, leveling) have enabled the building of a very accurate (few mm) network in a reference frame compatible with the satellite altimetry missions (ITRF 2000). The GPS kinematic data were processed using two different software programmes, allowing checking of the consistency of the solutions. If the standard deviation of the differences (3.3 cm) is close to the kinematic process precision, they exhibit some large values (up to 14 cm). These large discrepancies have been reduced using a weighting based on the crossover differences. Inasmuch as the distances between the tide gauges and the areas covered by the GPS catamaran were becoming large, we have used the MOG2D ocean model (Carrère and Lyard 2003 Carrère, L. and Lyard, F. 2003. Modelling the barotropic response of the global ocean to atmospheric wind and pressure forcing—comparisons with observations. Geophys. Res. Letters, 30(6) [Google Scholar]) to correct the sea surface from tides. In the farthest areas, the crossover differences show an improvement by a factor of two. Finally, we also present preliminary results on Jason-1 altimeter calibration using the derived marine geoid. From this analysis, the altimeter bias is estimated to be 120 ± 5 mm. The quality of this first result validates the whole GPS-based marine geoid processing, for which the accuracy is estimated to be better than 3 cm rms at crossovers.     

卫星高度计海上定标场及定标方法研究进展

介绍了卫星高度计定标中海面高度和后向散射系数的定标方法。在后向散射系数的定标中介绍了利用有源定标器和微波辐射计定标两种方法。结合卫星高度计的特点,提出了海上定标场选取所需注意的问题,并介绍了目前比较成功的几个定标场及其定标结果,旨在为我国今后发射的卫星高度计绝对定标和定标场的选取提供依据。     

The GAVDOS Mean Sea Level and Altimeter Calibration Facility: Results for Jason-1

The location of the GAVDOS facility is under a crossing point of the original ground-tracks of TOPEX/Poseidon and the present ones for Jason-1, and adjacent to an ENVISAT pass, about 50 km south of Crete, Greece. Ground observations and altimetry comparisons over cycles 70 to 90, indicate that a preliminary estimate of the absolute measurement bias for the Jason-1 altimeter is 144.7 ± 15 mm. Comparison of Jason microwave radiometer data from cycles 37 and 62, with locally collected water vapor radiometer and solar spectrometer observations indicate a 1–2 mm agreement.     

The GAVDOS Mean Sea Level and Altimeter Calibration Facility: Results for Jason-1

The location of the GAVDOS facility is under a crossing point of the original ground-tracks of TOPEX/Poseidon and the present ones for Jason-1, and adjacent to an ENVISAT pass, about 50 km south of Crete, Greece. Ground observations and altimetry comparisons over cycles 70 to 90, indicate that a preliminary estimate of the absolute measurement bias for the Jason-1 altimeter is 144.7 ± 15 mm. Comparison of Jason microwave radiometer data from cycles 37 and 62, with locally collected water vapor radiometer and solar spectrometer observations indicate a 1-2 mm agreement.     

Poseidon-2 Radar Altimeter Design and Results of In-Flight Performances Special Issue: Jason-1 Calibration/Validation

Poseidon-2 is the dual frequency, solid-state radar altimeter embarked on the CNES/NASA oceanographic satellite Jason-1. This article gives a brief summary of the instrument design and some in-flight performances. Flight results have confirmed the very good results of the altimeter transfer function, which is very stable, and that the range noise at instrument level is less than 2 cm for a Significant Wave Height of 2 m.     

干涉雷达高度计定标检验进展

卫星雷达高度计正从传统星下点的剖面测量向宽刈幅干涉测量发展,利用卫星观测二维的高分辨率、高精度海面高度正在成为可能,国外研究人员提出SWOT(Surface Water and Ocean Topography)干涉雷达高度计计划和我国新一代海洋科学卫星任务等计划有望实现海洋亚中尺度现象的观测。定标检验是评价卫星观测资料精度和质量的必要工作,传统高度计的定标检验均为基于验潮站、GNSS(Global Navigation Satellite System)浮标、有源定标器等方式的单点比对,难以满足干涉高度计的需求。目前国内外研究人员在干涉雷达高度计的定标检验中采用了全新的技术方案,并已利用机载试验和理论模拟开展了验证工作。对近10 a干涉雷达高度计定标检验的新技术方法进行介绍和总结,希望对我国的干涉雷达高度计卫星定标计划起到借鉴作用。     

Absolute calibration of HY-2A and Jason-2 altimeters for sea surface height using GPS buoy in Qinglan,China

GPS buoy methodology is one of the main calibration methodologies for altimeter sea surface height calibration. This study introduces the results of the Qinglan calibration campaign for the HY-2A and Jason-2 altimeters. It took place in two time slices;one was from August to September 2014, and the other was in July 2015. One GPS buoy and two GPS reference stations were used in this campaign. The GPS data were processed using the real-time kinematic (RTK) technique. The fi nal error budget estimate when measuring the sea surface height (SSH) with a GPS buoy was better than 3.5 cm. Using the GPS buoy, the altimeter bias estimate was about -2.3 cm for the Jason-2 Geophysical Data Record (GDR) Version ‘D' and from -53.5 cm to -75.6 cm for the HY-2A Interim Geophysical Data Record (IGDR). The bias estimates for Jason-2 GDR-D are similar to the estimates from dedicated calibration sites such as the Harvest Platform, the Crete Site and the Bass Strait site. The bias estimates for HY-2A IGDR agree well with the results from the Crete calibration site. The results for the HY-2A altimeter bias estimated by the GPS buoy were verifi ed by cross-calibration, and they agreed well with the results from the global analysis method.     

Jason-1 Altimeter Ground Processing Look-Up Correction Tables

Poseidon-2 is the dual frequency radar altimeter embarked on the CNES/NASA oceanographic satellite Jason-1 that was launched on 7 December 2001. The primary objective of the Jason-1 mission is to continue the high accuracy time series of altimeter measurements that began with TOPEX in 1992. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to improve each component of the ground processing continually. Among these components are the look-up correction tables that are used to correct the estimations (range, significant waveheight, and sigma naught) issued from the retracking algorithms (on-board and ground). Look-up tables were first computed taking into account the prelaunch characteristics of the altimeter. They have to be updated to take into account better all the in-flight characteristics of the altimeter and all the updated ground algorithms that can impact the estimation process. The aim of this article is to describe the radar altimeter simulator of performances that has been used to compute look-up tables, to display the freshly computed look-up tables, and to discuss the consequences of these new corrections on the products provided to the users. The updated look-up correction tables allow improvement of SWH estimation, in particular with respect to TOPEX SWH data. It is also shown that no range dependency on SWH has to be looked for in these tables, and that the on-board TOPEX and Poseidon-2 tracking systems may contain the differences explaining the relative sea state bias between both altimeters.     

Jason-1 Altimeter Ground Processing Look-Up Correction Tables

Poseidon-2 is the dual frequency radar altimeter embarked on the CNES/NASA oceanographic satellite Jason-1 that was launched on 7 December 2001. The primary objective of the Jason-1 mission is to continue the high accuracy time series of altimeter measurements that began with TOPEX in 1992. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to improve each component of the ground processing continually. Among these components are the look-up correction tables that are used to correct the estimations (range, significant waveheight, and sigma naught) issued from the retracking algorithms (on-board and ground). Look-up tables were first computed taking into account the prelaunch characteristics of the altimeter. They have to be updated to take into account better all the in-flight characteristics of the altimeter and all the updated ground algorithms that can impact the estimation process. The aim of this article is to describe the radar altimeter simulator of performances that has been used to compute look-up tables, to display the freshly computed look-up tables, and to discuss the consequences of these new corrections on the products provided to the users. The updated look-up correction tables allow improvement of SWH estimation, in particular with respect to TOPEX SWH data. It is also shown that no range dependency on SWH has to be looked for in these tables, and that the on-board TOPEX and Poseidon-2 tracking systems may contain the differences explaining the relative sea state bias between both altimeters.     

Calibration of JASON-1 Altimeter over Lake Erie

This article describes absolute calibration results for both JASON-1 and TOPEX Side B (TSB) altimeters obtained at the Lake Erie calibration site, Marblehead, Ohio, USA. Using 15 overflights, the estimated JASON altimeter bias at Marblehead is 58 ± 38 mm, with an uncertainty of 19 mm based on detailed error analysis. Assuming that the TSB bias is negligible, relative bias estimates using both data from the TSB-JASON formation flight period and data from 48 water level gauges around the entire Great Lakes confirmed the Marblehead results. Global analyses using both the formation flight data and dual-satellite (TSB and JASON) crossovers yield a similar relative bias estimate of 146 ± 59 mm, which agrees well with open ocean absolute calibration results obtained at Harvest, Corsica, and Bass Strait (e.g., Watson et al. 2003). We find that there is a strong dependence of bias estimates on the choice of sea state bias (SSB) models. Results indicate that the invariant JASON instrument bias estimated oceanwide is 71 mm, with additional biases of 76 mm or 28 mm contributed by the choice of Collecte Localisation Satellites (CLS) SSB or Center for Space Research (CSR) SSB model, respectively. Similar analysis in the Great Lakes yields the invariant JASON instrument bias at 19 mm, with the SSB contributed biases at 58 mm or 13 mm, respectively. The reason for the discrepancy is currently unknown and warrants further investigation. Finally, comparison of the TOPEX/POSEIDON mission (1992-2002) data with the Great Lakes water level gauge measurements yields a negligible TOPEX altimeter drift of 0.1 mm/yr.     

Calibration/Validation of an Altimeter Wave Period Model and Application to TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1 Altimeters

The altimeter radar backscatter cross-section is known to be related to the ocean surface wave mean square slope statistics, linked to the mean surface acceleration variance according to the surface wave dispersion relationship. Since altimeter measurements also provide significant wave height estimates, the precedent reasoning was used to derive empirical altimeter wave period models by combining both significant wave height and radar backscatter cross-section measurements. This article follows such attempts to propose new algorithms to derive an altimeter mean wave period parameter using neural networks method. Two versions depending on the required inputs are presented. The first one makes use of Ku-band measurements only as done in previous studies, and the second one exploits the dual-frequency capability of modern altimeters to better account for local environmental conditions. Comparison with in situ measurements show high correlations which give confidence in the derived altimeter wave period parameter. It is further shown that improved mean wave characteristics can be obtained at global and local scales by using an objective interpolation scheme to handle relatively coarse altimeter sampling and that TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1 altimeters can be merged to provide altimeter mean wave period fields with a better resolution. Finally, altimeter mean wave period estimates are compared with the WaveWatch-III numerical wave model to illustrate their usefulness for wave models tuning and validation.