The Harvest Experiment: Monitoring Jason-1 and TOPEX/POSEIDON from a California Offshore Platform
Special Issue: Jason-1 Calibration/Validation

Abstract

We present calibration results from Jason-1 (2001–) and TOPEX/POSEIDON (1992–) overflights of a California offshore oil platform (Harvest). Data from Harvest indicate that current Jason-1 sea-surface height (SSH) measurements are high by 138 ± 18 mm. Excepting the bias, the high accuracy of the Jason-1 measurements is in evidence from the overflights. In orbit for over 10 years, the T/P measurement system is well calibrated, and the SSH bias is statistically indistinguishable from zero. Also reviewed are over 10 years of geodetic results from the Harvest experiment.

Keywords:

• calibration
• GPS
• Jason-1
• satellite altimetry
• sea level
• TOPEX/POSEIDON
• validation