1. Radar Altimeter Data Base System (RADS) -- producing a consistent set of climate-grade observations spanning multiple satellite missions Altimeter/Tide Gauge calibration project Re-analysis of altimetric record -- connecting GEOSAT to TOPEX Historical analysis from tide gauge & hydrographic observations Preparing for Jason-2/OSTM (2008 launch) … Four Party Mission NASA/CNES with NOAA & EUMETSAT junior partners Planning/Gaining Approval for Jason-3 (2013) … NOAA & EUMETSAT Proposed Lead Agencies. NOAA Lab for Satellite Altimetry Global Sea Level Rise R&D Program

2. Global Sea Level Rise From Topex & Jason-1 Compared With Tide Gauge Rates From 1870-1930 and the 20th Century TOPEX 3.0 mm/yr 1993-2006 JASON-1 ~1.0 mm/yr 1870-1930 1.7 mm/yr 20th century

3. Mult-Mission Global Sea Level Rise From RADS Global mean sea level based on a simultaneous fit to a single trend and annual function and separate bias estimates for each satellite.

4. Global Sea Level Trends From Multiple Altimeters Can We Control the Errors? Difference in GSL trends (Topex+Jason) - (Envisat+ERS2+ERS1) Probably a Reference Frame Problem!

5. ALT TideGauge NOAA Altimeter/Tide Gauge Calibration Project No coherent national or international program at present. Pacific gauge network funded by NOAA/OCO NOAA now funding Gary Mitchum (Univ. South Florida) to produce and run a NOAA operational web-based system Tide gauge calibration only way of determining bias & drift errors. May provide answer to “gappy” record problem. 14 cm bias error +/-0.4 mm/yr drift error

6. Argo Profiles of Ocean Heat Content vs. GSLR From Altimetry Sea level continued to rise despite cooling and decrease in thermosteric sea level ~ 6 mm drop in thermosteric sea level From Lyman et al., GRL, 2006

7. NOAA GLSR Web Site Under Development Building on Univ. of Colorado site developed by Eric Leuliette -- new LSA hire. Multi-satellite based on RADS (Remko Scharroo) Monthly Tide Gauge Calibration (Univ. of South Florida with R20 support) -- tied to OCO support of tide gauge network.

8. Extending the TOPEX/Jason Global Mean Sea Level Time Series with GEOSAT Observations Laury Miller, Remko Scharroo, John Kuhn, Caroline Harbitz Using tide gauge records that span the gap between GEOSAT & TOPEX to determine (1) GEOSAT trend errors, (2) GEOSAT bias with respect to TOPEX. If we succeed, we’ll lengthen the altimetric global sea level record by 45% Before Correcting Trend Error After Correcting Trend Error

9. Gyre-scale Atmospheric Pressure Variations and their Relationship to 19th and 20th Century Sea Level Rise Laury Miller & Bruce C. Douglas Church & White (2006) identified an acceleration in Global Sea Level Rise (GSLR) centered on 1920-1930. Here we show that this behavior is closely related to long-term, gyre-scale surface pressure variations similar to the Northern Annular Mode (Arctic Oscillation) and not global mass or volume change.

10. Sea level rise is a combination of thermal expansion and additional water from continental sources (e.g. glaciers). Eric Leuliette has exploited altimetry, in situ measurements of thermosteric changes in sea level, and mass changes inferred from NASA’s GRACE gravity mission in an effort to close the sea level change budget. Using GRACE to identifying cause(s) of GSRL GRACE(mass) = ALT(mass+vol) - Argo(vol)

11. In orbitApproved Planned / Pending Approval 97989900010203040506070809101112 2-f MR & 66-deg, 10-day, 315-km 98-deg, 35-day, 80-km – failure of on-board recording ERS-2 ENVISAT JASON 131415 Sentinel 3 – 3-sat series Jason 108-deg, 17-day, 160-km Jason-3 AltiKa on SARAL TOPEX-Poseidon Altimeter Missions GEOSAT Follow-on OSTM (Jason-2) HY-2 series SWOT Timely data access?

12. NOAA’s Expanding Role In Satellite Altimetry Jason-2/OSTM --- Launch 2008 NASA/CNES with NOAA/EUMETSAT junior partners NOAA Responsible for ground system -- controlling satellite, downlinking data, near-real time data processing, archive (CLASS) and distribution Jason-3 --- Proposed launch 2013 NOAA & EUMETSAT lead agencies, with CNES and possibly NASA participation. Need to secure funding -- NOAA’s share $150M over 5 years?