Dynamic sea surface topography, gravity, and improved orbit accuracies from the direct evaluation of Seasat altimeter data

摘要: A gravitational model incorporating Seasat altimetry, surface gravimetry, and satellite tracking data has been determined in terms of global spherical harmonics complete to degree order 50. This model, PGS-3337, uses altimeter as a dynamic observation the satellite's height above sea surface. solution for ocean's topography is recovered simultaneously with orbit parameters, gravity, ocean tidal terms. The reveals long wavelength circulation oceans resolution 2,000 km very similar mean upper derived from historical ship observations. PGS-3337 geoid an uncertainty 60 cm rms globally but only 25 over because measurements. orbits this have estimated accuracy radial position 20 rms. difference between observed plus 30 Contained these residuals are variability, well errors geoid, orbits, models, range performance level 2 3 times better than that achieved previous Goddard models.