HR: 1330h
AN: C32A-0435    [PDF]
TI: GLAS Measurements of the Global Oceans
AU: * Urban, T J
EM: urban@csr.utexas.edu
AF: Center for Space Research University of Texas at Austin, 3925 W. Braker, Suite 200, Austin, TX 78759-5321 United States
AU: Schutz, B E
EM: schutz@csr.utexas.edu
AF: Center for Space Research University of Texas at Austin, 3925 W. Braker, Suite 200, Austin, TX 78759-5321 United States
AB: Although not designed for ocean measurement, two-thirds of the GLAS elevation measurements occur over the global oceans, including important near-coastal and high-latitude regions. We present a summary of ocean data quality, the support given to GLAS calibration/validation by ocean comparisons, and several oceanographic results. While the high resolution (40 Hz) and small footprint (70 m) of the laser contrast sharply with radar altimetry (1 Hz and ~5 km), preliminary studies indicate that measurements comparable to radar can be obtained by the GLAS laser for both sea surface height and Significant Wave Height (SWH). The laser altimetry measurements are compared to data from Jason-1 and Topex/Poseidon via dual-satellite crossovers and to a MSS model. These comparisons have helped to verify and improve instrument bias determination (Release 9) and tide model application (Release 11) in early versions of the data, and have revealed significant signals in the altimeter bias estimate, including day/night differences, a yaw-mode bias jump, and unexplained periodic equatorial anomalies on the order of 1 meter. Significant results from new comparisons will be presented, using the latest laser data and current release version (Release 12).
DE: 1255 Tides--ocean (4560)
DE: 1640 Remote sensing
DE: 4275 Remote sensing and electromagnetic processes (0689)
DE: 4294 Instruments and techniques
DE: 4556 Sea level variations
SC: Cryosphere [C]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting