Altimetry is probably one of the most powerful tools for ice sheet observation. Our vision of the Antarctic ice sheet has been deeply transformed since the launch of the ERS1 satellite in 1991. With the launch of ERS2 and Envisat, the series of altimetric observations now provides 19 years of continuous and homogeneous observations that allow monitoring of the shape and volume of ice sheets. Th...

We analyze errors in the global bathymetry models of Smith and Sandwell that combine satellite altimetry with acoustic soundings and shorelines to estimate depths. Versions of these models have been incorporated into Google Earth and the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO). We use Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) multibeam surveys not previously incorpo...

Two remote sensing methods, satellite altimetry and 4D-Var assimilation of satellite imagery, are used to compute surface velocity fields in the Black Sea region. Surface currents derived from the two methods are compared for several cases with intense mesoscale and large-scale dynamics during low wind conditions. Comparison shows that the obtained results coincide well quantitatively and quali...

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) has been observed by satellite optical remote sensing, altimetry, and gravimetry for a variety of geophysical parameters, including water storage change. However, each of these sensors has its respective limitation in the parameters observed, accuracy and spatial-temporal resolution. Here, we utilized an integrated approach to combine remote sensing imagery, digital ele...

Global mean sea level rise estimated from satellite altimetry provides a strong constraint on climate variability and change and is expected to accelerate as the rates of both ocean warming and cryospheric mass loss increase over time. In stark contrast to this expectation however, current altimeter products show the rate of sea level rise to have decreased from the first to second decades of t...

Historical section data extending to 1985 are used to estimate the interannual variability of transport entering the Coral Sea between New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands. Typical magnitudes of this variability are 65–8 Sv (Sv [ 10 m s) in the 0–400-m layer relative to 400 m, and 68–12 Sv in the 0–2000-m layer relative to 2000 m, on a mean of close to230 Sv (relative to 2000 m). Transport inc...

Although satellite radar altimetry was developed and optimized for open oceans, it has been used to monitor variations in the level of inland water-bodies such as lakes and rivers. Here, for the first time, we have further used the altimetry-derived variation of water level for estimating the fluctuation of water storage as an addition to the present in situ water storage estimation systems to ...

Knowledge of sea ice thickness is critical for the prediction of future climate, and for assessing the significance of changes in thickness. Sea ice thickness can be calculated from radar or laser satellite altimetry measurements of freeboard. However, a lack of knowledge of snow depth introduces significant uncertainties into these calculations. This paper compares the first coincident airborn...