Note: Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- Preface -- Editors -- Contributors -- Chapter 1: Satellite Radar AltimetryPrinciple, Accuracy, and Precision -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.1.1 Satellite Altimetry Measurement Principle -- 1.1.2 Satellite Radar Altimetry Historical Perspective -- 1.1.2.1 Satellite Altimetry Missions -- 1.1.2.2 Geographical Perspective and International Cooperation -- 1.1.2.3 Altimetry Products: History of Continuous Progress -- 1.1.3 Altimetry System Requirements -- 1.2 Radar Instrument -- 1.2.1 Radar Altimeter Instrument Principles -- 1.2.2 Observation Geometry -- 1.2.3 Radar Operation -- 1.2.4 Transmitted Waveform -- 1.2.5 Instrument Architecture -- 1.2.6 Instrument Example: Poseidon-3 of Jason-2 Mission -- 1.2.6.1 Poseidon-3 Architecture -- 1.2.6.2 Poseidon-3 Main Characteristics -- 1.2.7 Key Instrument Performance -- 1.2.8 Echo Formation -- 1.3 Echo characterization and processing -- 1.3.1 Speckle Noise -- 1.3.2 Analytical and Numerical Models -- 1.3.3 Estimation Strategies -- 1.3.4 New Altimeters -- 1.3.5 Non-Ocean Surfaces -- 1.4 Precise Orbit Determination -- 1.4.1 Orbit Determination Technique -- 1.4.1.1 Performance Requirements -- 1.4.1.2 Radial Error Properties -- 1.4.2 Orbit Determination Measurement Systems -- 1.4.3 Satellite Trajectory Modeling and Parameterization -- 1.4.4 Major Modeling Evolution since the Beginning of the 1990s -- 1.4.5 Long-Term Orbit Error and Stability Budget -- 1.4.6 Foreseen Modeling Improvement -- 1.5 Geophysical Corrections -- 1.5.1 Sea State Bias Correction -- 1.5.1.1 Origins of the Sea State Effects and Correction -- 1.5.1.2 Theoretical Solutions -- 1.5.1.3 Empirical Solutions. , 1.5.2 Atmospheric Propagation Effect Corrections -- 1.5.2.1 Ionospheric Correction -- 1.5.2.2 Dry Tropospheric Correction -- 1.5.2.3 The Wet Tropospheric Correction -- 1.6 Altimetry Product Auxiliary Information: Reference Surfaces, Tides, and High-Frequency Signal -- 1.6.1 Reference Surfaces -- 1.6.2 Tides, High-Frequency Signals -- 1.6.2.1 The Tide Correction -- 1.6.2.2 The High-Frequency Correction -- 1.6.2.3 S1 and S2 Atmospheric and Ocean Signals -- 1.7 Altimetry Time and Space Sampling: Orbit Selection and Virtual Constellation Approach -- 1.7.1 Sampling Properties of a Single Altimeter Orbit -- 1.7.2 Orbit Sub-Cycles and Sampling Properties -- 1.7.3 Altimeter Virtual Constellation and Phasing -- 1.8 Altimetry error budget -- 1.8.1 Error Budget for Mesoscale Oceanography -- 1.8.2 Error Budget for Mean Sea Level Trend Monitoring -- 1.8.3 Error Budget for Sub-Mesoscale -- References -- Chapter 2: Wide-Swath AltimetryA Review -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Ocean and Hydrology Sampling Requirements -- 2.3 Approaches to Wide-Swath Altimetry -- 2.3.1 From Nadir Altimetry to Wide-Swath Altimetry: Three-Dimensional Geolocation -- 2.3.2 Wide-Swath Altimetry Using Waveform Tracking -- 2.3.3 Wide-Swath Altimetry Using Radar Interferometry -- 2.4 The Interferometric Error Budget -- 2.4.1 Roll Errors -- 2.4.2 Phase Errors -- 2.4.3 Range Errors -- 2.4.4 Baseline Errors -- 2.4.5 Finite Azimuth Footprint Biases -- 2.4.6 Radial Velocity Errors -- 2.4.7 Calibration Methods -- 2.5 Wide-Swath Altimetry Phenomenology -- 2.5.1 Water Brightness -- 2.5.2 Wave Effects -- 2.5.2.1 The "Surfboard Effect" -- 2.5.2.2 Temporal Correlation Effects -- 2.5.2.3 Wave Bunching -- 2.5.2.4 The EM Bias. , 2.5.3 Layover and Vegetation Effects -- 2.6 Wide-Swath Altimetry Mission Design -- 2.7 Summary and Prospects -- References -- Acknowledgments -- Chapter 3: In Situ Observations Needed to Complement, Validate, and Interpret Satellite Altimetry -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Sea Surface Heights Obtained from Tide Gauge/GNSS Networks -- 3.2.1 Sea Level Measurements before the Altimeter Era -- 3.2.2 Tide Gauge and Altimeter Data Complementarity -- 3.2.3 Tide Gauges Used for Altimeter Calibration -- 3.2.4 Tide Gauge and Altimeter Data in Combination in Studies of Long-Term Sea Level Change -- 3.2.5 GNSS Equipment at Tide Gauges -- 3.2.6 New Developments in Tide Gauges and Data Availability -- 3.2.7 Tide Gauges and Altimetry in the Future -- 3.3 Upper-Ocean (0 to 2000 decibars) Steric Variability: The XBT and Argo Networks -- 3.3.1 The Relationship of SSH Variability with Subsurface T and S-Steric Height -- 3.3.2 A Brief History of Systematic Ocean Sampling by the XBT and Argo Networks -- 3.3.3 Ocean Heat Content and Steric Sea Level -- 3.3.4 The Global Pattern of SSH and Upper-Ocean Steric Height -- 3.3.5 Geostrophic Ocean Circulation -- 3.3.6 Horizontal Scales of Variability in the Ocean: The Challenge of Resolution -- 3.4 Deep-Ocean (greater than 2000 m) Steric Variability: Repeat Hydrography and Deep Argo -- 3.4.1 Ventilating the Deep Ocean: Deep Water Production and the Global MOC -- 3.4.2 Monitoring Deep Steric Variability through Repeat Hydrography -- 3.4.3 The Deep Ocean Contribution to Steric Sea Level -- 3.4.4 Future of Deep Observing: Deep Argo -- 3.6 Dynamic Topography and Surface Velocity -- 3.6.1 Eulerian Velocity Measurements -- 3.6.2 Lagrangian Velocity Measurements -- 3.6.3 Geostrophic Currents and Mean Dynamic Topography. , 3.6.4 Ageostrophic Motions -- 3.7 The Technology Revolution and the Future of Ocean Observations -- References -- Acknowledgments -- Chapter 4: Auxiliary Space-Based Systems for Interpreting Satellite Altimetry -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Measurements: Mean Geoid and Sea Surface -- 4.2.1 Parameterizing Gravity and the Geoid -- 4.2.2 GRACE and GOCE -- 4.2.3 Surface Gravity Data and Combination Geoids -- 4.2.4 Mean Sea Surface Models -- 4.3 Measurements: Time-Variable Gravity -- 4.4 Applications: Dynamic Ocean Topography -- 4.4.1 Importance of Consistency between Geoid and MSS -- 4.4.2 Improvements in MDT with GRACE and GOCE Geoids -- 4.4.3 Toward a Higher Spatial Resolution MDT -- 4.5 Applications: Global and Regional Ocean Mass Variations -- 4.6 Conclusions and Future Prospects -- References -- Chapter 5: A 25-Year Satellite Altimetry-Based Global Mean Sea Level Record -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 The Altimeter Mean Sea Level Record -- 5.2.1 Computing Global and Regional Mean Sea Level Time Series -- 5.2.2 Altimeter Missions -- 5.2.3 Altimeter Corrections -- 5.2.4 Intermission Biases -- 5.2.5 Averaging Process -- 5.2.6 Validation of the GMSL Record with Tide Gauge Measurements -- 5.2.7 Mean Sea Level Variation and Uncertainties -- 5.2.7.1 Global Scale Uncertainty -- 5.2.7.2 Regional Scales -- 5.3 Interpreting the Altimeter GMSL Record -- 5.3.1 Steric Sea Level Contribution -- 5.3.2 The Cryosphere Contributions to GMSL -- 5.3.3 The Land Water Storage Contributions to GMSL -- 5.3.3.1 Interannual Variations -- 5.3.3.2 Long-Term Variations -- 5.4 Closing the Sea Level Budget and Uncertainties -- 5.4.1 Glacial Isostatic Adjustment -- 5.4.2 Ocean Mass/Barystatic Sea Level from GRACE. , 5.4.3 Closure and Missing Components -- 5.5 How Altimetry Informs Us About the Future -- References -- Chapter 6: Monitoring and Interpreting Mid-Latitude Oceans by Satellite Altimetry -- 6.1 Introduction: Role of Mid-Latitude Oceans -- 6.2 Western Boundary Currents -- 6.3 Meridional Circulation and Interbasin Exchanges -- 6.4 Climate Change -- 6.5 Summary and Future Research -- References -- Acknowledgments -- Chapter 7: Monitoring and Interpreting the Tropical Oceans by Satellite Altimetry -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.2 Tropical Atlantic Ocean -- 7.2.1 Intraseasonal and Eddy Activities -- 7.2.1.1 Eddy Structures -- 7.2.1.2 Tropical Instability Waves -- 7.2.2 The Seasonal Cycle -- 7.2.3 Equatorial Waves -- 7.2.4 Interannual Variability -- 7.3 Tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean -- 7.3.1 Tropical Pacific -- 7.3.1.1 Intraseasonal Variability -- 7.3.1.2 Seasonal Variability -- 7.3.1.3 Interannual and Decadal Variability -- 7.3.2 Tropical Indian Ocean -- 7.3.2.1 Intraseasonal Variability -- 7.3.2.2 Seasonal Cycle -- 7.3.2.3 Interannual Variability -- 7.3.2.4 Decadal and Multidecadal Changes -- 7.3.3 Indo-Pacific Linkage and Indonesian Throughflow -- 7.4 Summary -- References -- Acknowledgments -- Chapter 8: The High Latitude Seas and Arctic Ocean -- 8.1 Introduction -- 8.1.1 Satellite Altimetry in the High Latitude and Arctic Ocean -- 8.2 Mapping the Sea Ice Thickness in the Arctic Ocean -- 8.3 Sea Level Change -- 8.3.1 The Seasonal Cycle -- 8.3.2 Secular and Long-Term Sea Level Changes -- 8.3.3 Arctic Sea Level Budget -- 8.3.4 The Polar Gap and Accuracy Estimates -- 8.4 Mean Dynamic Topography -- 8.5 Ocean Circulation and Volume Transport -- 8.5.1 Surface Circulation -- 8.5.2 Volume Transport. , 8.6 Summary and Outlook.