Comparison of SEASAT 1 altimeter measurements of wave height with measurements made by a pitch-roll buoy

Journal Article · Mon Jul 20 04:00:00 EDT 1981 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JC086iC07p06394· OSTI ID:5939592

Webb, D J

Measurements of significant wave height made by a pitch-roll buoy during the Joint Air-Sea Interaction Experiment (JASIN) are compared with measurements made at the same time by the SEASAT 1 radar altimeter as processed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory SEASAT algorithms. Comparisons are made for eight occasions during which the significant wave height lay between 0.7 and 2.3 m. The radar altimeter is found to underestimate slightly the wave heights when compared with the pith-roll buoy. The mean ratio of the measurements is 0.96 +- 0.04, and the standard deviation of individual comparisons about this mean is 0.10.

• Research Organization: Institute of Oceanographic Sciences, Wormley, Godalming, Surrey, United Kingdom GU8 5UB
• OSTI ID: 5939592
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 86:C7; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580500* -- Oceanography-- (1980-1989)
ALTIMETERS
AMPLITUDES
BUOYS
CALIBRATION
DIMENSIONS
HEIGHT
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
OCEANOGRAPHY
RADAR
RANGE FINDERS
SATELLITES
WATER WAVES