JASON-2 Satellite Geophysical Ocean Topography Products

Geophysical products from the JASON-2 satellite altimetry mission provide precise measurements of ocean surface topography. The dataset is a continuation of the TOPEX/Poseidon and JASON-1 missions, developed through cooperation between CNES, EUMETSAT, NASA, and NOAA. It contains Level 2 processed data from instruments including the Poseidon-3 radar altimeter and the Advanced Microwave Radiometer.

Use Cases

• Analyzing sea surface height anomalies from altimeter data to monitor global sea level trends.
• Studying ocean circulation patterns using precise geolocation and topography measurements from the DORIS and GPS systems.
• Correcting altimeter range measurements for atmospheric water vapor using data from the Advanced Microwave Radiometer (AMR).
• Calibrating and validating climate models with long-term, continuous ocean topography records from the JASON mission series.
• Investigating wave height and wind speed over oceans using parameters derived from the Poseidon-3 radar altimeter.

Strengths

• Ensures continuity with a 30-year record of ocean altimetry starting from the TOPEX/Poseidon mission in 1992.
• Integrates data from multiple precise instruments including a radar altimeter, microwave radiometer, and triple orbit determination system.

Limitations

• Specific row count, temporal coverage, and spatial resolution for this dataset are not provided.
• As Level 2 data, it requires specialized knowledge of altimetry processing for direct scientific use.

Provenance

Source

CNES (French Space Agency), with contributions from NASA, EUMETSAT, and NOAA.

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the JASON-2 spacecraft, processed by the CNES SALP (Altimetry and Precise Positioning) ground segment.

Time Range

Mission launched in 2008; data continuity extends the altimetry record from 1992.

Geography

Global ocean coverage.