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Ocean Tides for and from TOPEX/POSEIDON
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|February 3, 1995
Summary
The TOPEX/POSEIDON mission significantly improved ocean tide models. Altimetric data enhanced accuracy by 30% for the M(2) lunar tide component, reaching practical accuracy limits.
Area of Science:
- Oceanography
- Geophysics
- Satellite Altimetry
Background:
- Accurate ocean tide models are crucial for understanding sea-level variations and ocean dynamics.
- Previous tide models had limitations in accuracy and global coverage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the accuracy of tidal solutions derived from the TOPEX/POSEIDON mission's first year of data.
- To compare these new solutions with existing models and in situ measurements.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the first year of the TOPEX/POSEIDON satellite altimetry mission.
- Compared derived tidal solutions with established ocean tide models.
- Validated results against a global dataset of 78 in situ tidal stations.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated substantial improvements in tidal solutions compared to previous models.
- Achieved a 30% increase in accuracy for the major lunar tidal component (M2) based on root-mean-square differences.
- Highlighted the high quality of TOPEX/POSEIDON altimetric data as the primary driver of improvement.
Conclusions:
- TOPEX/POSEIDON data represents a major advancement in ocean tide modeling.
- Assimilation of altimetric data with numerical models approaches the limits of practical accuracy for tidal solutions.
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