Oceanographic and geophysical applications of satellite altimetry

Since the last quadrennial report, new satellite altimeter data have not been generally available. Nevertheless, important progress has been made from analyses of Geos 3 and Seasat data. The marine gravity field has been determined to an extraordinary resolution and accuracy, and important solid earth geophysical interpretations made. In the area of oceanography, statistical estimates of the variability of dynamic topography have been published, methods for incorporating altimeter data into numerical models have been developed and applied, and tentative, but interesting determinations of the mean circulation have been made. In addition, altimeter waveform analysis has made it possible to use altimeter data to determine elevations of major ice fields. Finally, important new insights into the nature of satellite ephemeris error and its influence on altimetrically derived sea surface topography have been achieved.