Note: Cover -- Contents -- Contributors -- Preface -- Chapter 1. Satellite Altimetry -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Radar Measurement Principles -- 3. Range Estimation -- 4. Precision Orbit Determination -- 5. Geophysical Effects on the Sea Surface Topography -- 6. Significant Wave Height Estimation -- 7. Wind-Speed Estimation -- 8. TOPEX/POSEIDON Mission Design and Performance -- 9. Outlook for Future Altimeter Missions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Chapter 2. Large-Scale Ocean Circulation -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The Ocean General Circulation -- 3. The Temporal Variability -- 4. Conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Chapter 3. Ocean Currents and Eddies -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Altimeter Data Processing for Mesoscale Studies -- 3. Ocean Currents -- 4. Mesoscale Eddies -- 5. Conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Chapter 4. Tropical Ocean Variability -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Tropical Pacific -- 3. Indian Ocean -- 4. Tropical Atlantic -- 5. Conclusion -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Chapter 5. Data Assimilation by Models -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Examples and Merits of Data Assimilation -- 3. Data Assimilation as an Inverse Problem -- 4. Assimilation Methodologies -- 5. Practical Issues of Assimilation -- 6. Summary and Outlook -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Chapter 6. Ocean Tides -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Mathematical Representation of Ocean Tides -- 3. Status Before High-Precision Satellite Altimetry -- 4. Methodologies for Extracting Ocean Tides from Altimetry -- 5. The Semi-Diurnal and Diurnal Tides over the Deep Ocean -- 6. The Long Period Ocean Tides -- 7. Internal Tides -- 8. The Tides over Shallow Waters -- 9. Tidal Energetics and Satellite Altimetry -- 10. Applications -- 11. Conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Chapter 7. Ocean Surface Waves -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Wave Modeling and Altimetry. , 3. Wave Climate Studies with Altimeter Data -- 4. Conclusions -- 5. Glossary -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Chapter 8. Sea Level Change -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The Tide Gauge Record and its Limitations -- 3. Satellite Altimeter Measurements of Sea-Level Change -- 4. Calibration of Satellite Altimeter Measurements Using Tide Gauge Data -- 5. Detecting Changes in the Rate of Sea-Level Rise -- 6. Global Mean Changes in Sea Level, Sea-Surface Temperature, and Precipitable Water -- 7. Spatial Variations of Sea-Level Change and Sea-Surface Temperature -- 8. Linking Together Different Satellite Altimeter Missions -- 9. Conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Chapter 9. Ice Sheet Dynamics and Mass Balance -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Radar Altimeter Measurement of Ice Sheet Surface Elevations -- 3. Greenland and Antarctica Ice Sheet Topography -- 4. Ice Surface Slopes and Driving Stresses -- 5. Measurement of Ice Margins -- 6. Surface Elevation Changes and Mass Balance -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Chapter 10. Applications to Geodesy -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Mean Sea Surface Mapping -- 3. Gravity Recovery -- 4. New Frontiers -- 5. Concluding Remarks -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Chapter 11. Applications to Marine Geophysics -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Filtering the Long-Wavelength Geoid Signal -- 3. Geoid Anomalies and Isostatic Compensation -- 4. Mechanical Behavior of Oceanic Plates: Flexure under Seamount Loading -- 5. Thermal Evolution of the Oceanic Lithosphere -- 6. Oceanic Hotspot Swells -- 7. Short and Medium Wavelength Lineations in the Marine Geoid -- 8. Mapping the Seafloor Tectonic Fabric -- 9. Conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Chapter 12. Bathymetric Estimation -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Gravity Anomaly and Sea Surface Slopes -- 3. Limitations of Radar Alitmetry for Gravity Field Recovery -- 4. Forward Models. , 5. Inverse Approaches -- 6. Data Availability and Case Study: Bathymetric Estimation -- 7. Prospects for the Future -- 8. Appendix: Interaction of the Radar Pulse with the Rough Ocean Surface -- References -- Index -- Color Plate Section.