In-Situ Validation of Altimetry and CFOSAT SWIM Measurements in a High Wave Environment

Abstract

While satellite altimeters have revolutionized ocean science, validation measurements in high wave environments are rare. Using geodetic Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data collected from the Southern Ocean Flux Station (SOFS, −47°S, 142°E) since 2019, as part of the Southern Ocean Time Series (SOTS), we present a validation of satellite missions in this energetic region. Here we show that high rate GNSS observations at SOFS can successfully measure waves in the extreme conditions of the Southern Ocean and obtain robust measurements in all wave regimes (significant wave height, SWH, ranging from 1.5 m to 12.6 m). We find good agreement between the in-situ and nadir altimetry SWH (RMSE = 0.16 m, mean bias = 0.04 m, n = 60). Directional comparisons to the Chinese-French Ocean SATellite (CFOSAT) SWIM instrument also show good agreement, with dominant directions having an RMSE of 9.1° (n=22), and correlation coefficients between the directional spectra ranging between 0.57 and 0.79. Initial sea level anomaly (SLA) estimates capture eddies propagating through the region. Comparisons show good agreement with daily gridded SLA products (RMSE = 0.03 m, n = 205), with scope for future improvement. These results demonstrate the utility of high rate geodetic GNSS observations on moored surface platforms in highly energetic regions of the ocean. Such observations are important to maximize the geophysical interpretation from altimeter missions. In particular, the ability to provide co-located directional wave observations and SLA estimates will be useful for the validation of the recently launched Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission where understanding the interactions between sea state and sea surface height poses a major challenge.