Integrating Jason-2 into a Multiple-Altimeter Climate Data Record

The observation strategy for satellite radar altimetry includes both inter-satellite calibration and calibration with a network of tide gauges. These cross-comparisons are valuable tools for identifying sources of error and for establishing progress toward a sea level climate data record. Demonstrating the capabilities of the Radar Altimetry Database System (RADS) as a platform for climate data records, we show comparisons of Jason-2 with Jason-1 and Envisat that illustrate errors associated with solar intensity and tracker bias. A multi-mission tide gauge calibration shows a drift in the 17-year sea level record of –0.04 ± 0.4 mm/yr.