Gridded Sea Level Anomaly Maps from Multi-Satellite Altimetry

Multimission gridded sea surface heights are computed with respect to a seven-year mean. The data is available in near-real time and delayed time, with products derived from satellites including Topex/Poseidon, Jason-1, ERS, and Envisat. The dataset is provided by SCIOPS.

Use Cases

• Analyze mesoscale circulation patterns using gridded sea level anomaly maps at 1/3° resolution.
• Monitor seasonal variation and El Niño events through time-series of sea surface height anomalies.
• Calculate geostrophic velocity anomalies from the provided formal mapping error files.
• Compare ocean variability between stable 'Ref' series and improved 'Upd' series satellite products.
• Study regional ocean dynamics using high-resolution (1/3°x1/3°) products available in near-real time.

Strengths

• Data is available in near-real time for operational use.
• Provides two distinct product series ('Ref' and 'Upd') for homogeneous and improved analysis.
• Gridded data is available at high (1/3°x1/3°) and low (1°x1°) resolutions.

Limitations

• Specific row count, column details, and file size are unknown.
• The 'Upd' series quality is not homogeneous over time due to changing satellite configurations.
• The license, author, and last updated date are unspecified.

Provenance

Source

NASA Earthdata platform, provided by SCIOPS.

Collection Method

Derived from multimission satellite altimetry (Topex/Poseidon, Jason-1, ERS, Envisat, GFO).

Freshness

Available in near-real time; delayed time products are also available.

Geography

Global coverage on a Mercator grid.