Abstract's details
Fiducial Reference Measurements for Satellite Altimetry Calibration
CoAuthors
Event: 2017 Ocean Surface Topography Science Team Meeting
Session: Regional and Global CAL/VAL for Assembling a Climate Data Record
Presentation type: Type Poster
Contribution: PDF file
Abstract:
The concept of Fiducial Reference Measurements for Altimetry has been recommended and defined by the European Space Agency as: "The suite of independent ground measurements that provide the maximum Return-On-Investment for a satellite mission by delivering, to users, the required confidence in data products, in the form of independent validation results and satellite measurement uncertainty estimation, over the entire end-to-end duration of a satellite mission."
This work presents a set of recommendations that an entity interested in establishing a satellite altimetry Cal/Val site shall follow (1) To critically review the current methodology applied for calibration and validation using ground-based measurements; (2) To define requirements and establish standards and provide recommendations and best practices for altimerty calibration such that all measurements and results made are well-characterized and linked to other areas of science and technology through a world’s measurement system established and maintained under the International System of Units and Metrology Standards; (3) To document procedures so that results are reliable in the long term, comparable world-wide to support an objective and unquestionable monitoring of the Sea Level and Climate Change; and (4) to establish procedures and protocols for characterizing the uncertainty budget of all FRM instruments and derived results over the entire duration of a satellite mission. The criteria to be used for the evaluation of candidate Cal/Val sites are presented.
Working examples from the Permanent Facility for Altimeter Calibration in west Crete, Greece are also given for absolute bias determination of satellite altimeters.
This work presents a set of recommendations that an entity interested in establishing a satellite altimetry Cal/Val site shall follow (1) To critically review the current methodology applied for calibration and validation using ground-based measurements; (2) To define requirements and establish standards and provide recommendations and best practices for altimerty calibration such that all measurements and results made are well-characterized and linked to other areas of science and technology through a world’s measurement system established and maintained under the International System of Units and Metrology Standards; (3) To document procedures so that results are reliable in the long term, comparable world-wide to support an objective and unquestionable monitoring of the Sea Level and Climate Change; and (4) to establish procedures and protocols for characterizing the uncertainty budget of all FRM instruments and derived results over the entire duration of a satellite mission. The criteria to be used for the evaluation of candidate Cal/Val sites are presented.
Working examples from the Permanent Facility for Altimeter Calibration in west Crete, Greece are also given for absolute bias determination of satellite altimeters.