Satellite Altimetry Sea Floor

This way of estimating depth we call altimetric bathymetry.

Satellite altimetry sea floor.

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. Smith is at the national oceanic and atmospheric administration code e oc 2 1315 east west highway silver spring md 20910 3282 usa. 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.

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. The biggest errors that mostly affect the altimetry derived sea level are the orbit errors and errors in the environmental and geophysical corrections applied. Both offered immense improvements over single beam sonar because they collect data over broad areas rather than distinct spots minimizing the need for interpolation. Satellite altimetry also.

112x112 animated globe of predicted topography 140kb gif. 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. Smith david t. Mountains on the sea floor add extra pull to earth s gravity field drawing more water around them and bulging the sea surface outward.

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. 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. Global sea floor topography from satellite altimetry and ship depth soundings.