Project Details
Projekt
Regional sea level height variability analysis and models from multi-satellite altimetry
Subject Area
Geodesy, Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing, Geoinformatics, Cartography
Term
from 2000 to 2004
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5236810
Topic of the work is the investigation of the regional sea level height variability at low and medium frequencies and of its optimal representation in a model. Two geographical regions are selected, which have a sea level variability with different spectral and statistical properties: the European Seas, with almost constant spectral properties and stationary statistics, particularly in the Mediterranean Sea, and the Tropical Pacific area, with a non-stationary statistics due to the Southern Oscillation. Intraseasonal to interannual signals are analysed in the interval 1986-2000 in the European area and in the interval 1992-2000 in the Tropical Pacific from satellite altimetry and tide gauge data. Models for the variability are constructed, based on various mathematical formulations for the eigenvectors chosen as base for the model. The optimal analysis tool and mathematical representation are investigated for the two regions. The suitability of the model is tested based on its ability to compress and optimally represent the data, its prediction outside the altimetric data interval is analysed by correlating sea level variability and meteorological data using statistical methods. The models are initially based on Topex-Poseidon data and used in a regional multi-crossover analysis in the Mediterranean Sea to unify the altimetric data of the Geosat, ERS-1/2, Topex-Poseidon and Envisat missions computing their relative bias and drifts, a regional dual-crossover adjustment is performed in the Mediterranean Sea. An improved sea level variability model and a mean sea level model are constructed in both the European an the Tropical Pacific regions using the multi-mission unified data.
DFG Programme
Research Grants
