Benoit Legresy (CSIRO, Australia); Matt King (University of Tasmania, Australia); Will Hextall (University of Tasmania, Australia)

Through the use of moored oceanographic sensors, episodically deployed GNSS equipped buoys, a coastal tide gauge and continuously operating GNSS reference stations, the Bass Strait altimeter validation facility (40° 39’S, 145° 36’ E) continues to provide cycle-by-cycle estimates of absolute altimeter bias. The historical comparison point has served the Jason-series reference missions since the launch of TOPEX/Poseidon. More recently, the site has been enhanced with infrastructure in support of the ESA Sentinel-3A mission.

Here we present our updated results detailing the evolution of absolute bias from the Jason-3 mission. We review the stability of the validation infrastructure prior to investigating sea surface height (SSH) bias and its constituent corrections. We briefly detail results for Sentinel-3A which is the focus of a separate presentation. We conclude with details of GNSS equipped buoy developments planned for the coming 12 months.