AVISO Level 4: Standard Error for Satellite-Derived Ocean Dynamic Topography

Standard error data calculated from the AVISO Level 4 Absolute Dynamic Topography dataset for climate model comparison. These data were generated to support the CMIP5 portion of the PCMDI program and are based on sea surface height measurements from the Envisat, TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1, and OSTM/Jason-2 satellites. The data were provided by the French space agency data provider AVISO and are referenced to the geoid.

Use Cases

• Assessing uncertainty in satellite-derived ocean dynamic topography based on the standard error field.
• Validating and comparing outputs from CMIP5 climate models based on the referenced absolute dynamic topography.
• Analyzing spatial patterns of measurement confidence in sea surface height data based on the number of observations.
• Supporting studies on ocean circulation and sea level change using the multi-satellite data source.

Strengths

• Data is specifically generated to support the CMIP5 climate model intercomparison project.
• Derived from measurements by multiple established satellite missions: Envisat, TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1, and OSTM/Jason-2.
• Last updated on 2026-03-13, indicating recent maintenance.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, with data provided by AVISO (French space agency data provider).

Collection Method

Calculated from sea surface height measurements referenced to the geoid, collected by several satellites.

Time Range

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Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 11:20:24.843265; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global ocean coverage.