CoAuthors

Frank Lemoine (NASA/GSFC, USA); Nikita Zelensky (SGT Inc., USA); Richard Ray (NASA/GSFC, USA); Gary Mitchum (University of South Florida, USA); Xu Yang (SGT Inc., USA); Martina Ricko (SGT Inc., USA); Doug Vandemark (University of New Hampshire, USA); Hui Feng (University of New Hampshire, USA)

The recent launch of Jason-3 offers the possibility of continuing global mean sea level (GMSL) monitoring well into the next decade. In this presentation we report Jason-2/3 inter-mission bias estimates based on direct sea surface height (SSH) collinear differences of near coincident measurements during the verification phase, and with comparisons to a global network of tide gauges. In an effort to provide a consistent SSH time series and seamless transition to Jason-3, we have generated orbits for the entire time span based on the revised ITRF2014 terrestrial reference frame. Additional revisions to the Climate Data Record under review include re-calibrated/enhanced TOPEX and Jason-1 radiometer measurements, 3D sea state bias models, and the verification and implementation of the TOPEX retracked GDR data. We report the efficacy of correction algorithm revisions leading to the development of the MEaSURE’s V4.0 sea surface height Climate Data Record (http://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/dataset/MERGED_TP_J1_OSTM_OST_ALL). We provide an assessment of recent improvements to the accuracy of the 24-year sea surface height time series, describe continuing calibration/validation activities, and evaluate the subsequent impact on current global and regional mean sea level estimates.