ISSN 2070-7401 (Print), ISSN 2411-0280 (Online)
Sovremennye problemy distantsionnogo zondirovaniya Zemli iz kosmosa
CURRENT PROBLEMS IN REMOTE SENSING OF THE EARTH FROM SPACE

  

Sovremennye problemy distantsionnogo zondirovaniya Zemli iz kosmosa, 2021, Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 18-35

International experience in calibration of satellite altimetry data on the stationary and temporary calibration sites

A. Lebedev 1, 2, 3 , V. Gusev 1, 4 
1 Geophysical Center RAS, Moscow, Russia
2 National Research University of Electronic Technology, Zelenograd, Moscow, Russia
3 Maykop State Technological University, Maykop, Russia
4 AO Central Research Institute for Machine Building, Korolev, Moscow Region, Russia
Accepted: 04.03.2021
DOI: 10.21046/2070-7401-2021-18-2-18-35
At present, satellite altimetry data are the main source of interannual variability in the sea level of the World Ocean and inland seas. The accuracy of present altimetric measurements of the sea surface height makes it possible to estimate the rate of rise in the level of the World Ocean to a few millimeters per year. However, high-precision measurements of sea surface heights from satellite are largely dependent on the calibration of altimetry measurements at specialized calibration sites, since the measurement result depends on many factors related to the equipment, the conditions of propagation of electromagnetic waves in the troposphere and ionosphere, the sea state bias, and etc. The concept of altimeter data calibration includes in-situ comparison of sea level measurements at the calibration site with the sea surface height obtained as a result of processing altimeter measurements above or near the calibration site. The article provides an overview of the international experience in the calibration of satellite altimetry data, which has gone from a simple comparison of satellite altimetry measurements with the data of level gauges to the creation of specialized stationary and temporary calibration sites. This experience is useful for the development of requirements for the prospective calibration range for the Russian space geodetic system.
Keywords: satellite altimetry, calibration site, sea surface height
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