Location
Holiday Inn, Manatee Rooms A & B
Start Date
25-4-1995 2:00 PM
End Date
25-4-1995 5:00 PM
Description
On August 10,1992, the United State and France launched their joint TQPEX/POSEIDON (abbreviated as T/P hereafter) satellite for making altimetric observations of the sea surface [3]. This is the first satellite altimetry system specifically designed for studying the circulation of the global oceans. The spacecraft is operating in an orbit which repeats its underlying ground-track every 10 days. Results to date show that the mission is producing observations of the global sea surface elevation with an unprecedented accuracy of 5 cm everywhere, and much better in some places. This precise knowledge of the shape of the sea surface is directly related to the dynamical processes governing ocean currents throughout the entire water column and provides oceanographers with the first true global observation system. Designed for a lifetime of 3-5 years, the satellite is providing the ability to describe and understand the dynamics of ocean circulation and its time variability with sampling adequate to understand its climatic consequences.
Paper Session I-C - The Ocean and Climate: Results from the TOPEX/ POSEIDON Mission
Holiday Inn, Manatee Rooms A & B
On August 10,1992, the United State and France launched their joint TQPEX/POSEIDON (abbreviated as T/P hereafter) satellite for making altimetric observations of the sea surface [3]. This is the first satellite altimetry system specifically designed for studying the circulation of the global oceans. The spacecraft is operating in an orbit which repeats its underlying ground-track every 10 days. Results to date show that the mission is producing observations of the global sea surface elevation with an unprecedented accuracy of 5 cm everywhere, and much better in some places. This precise knowledge of the shape of the sea surface is directly related to the dynamical processes governing ocean currents throughout the entire water column and provides oceanographers with the first true global observation system. Designed for a lifetime of 3-5 years, the satellite is providing the ability to describe and understand the dynamics of ocean circulation and its time variability with sampling adequate to understand its climatic consequences.
Comments
Nurturing Our Environment
Session Chairman: William F. Townsend, Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Mission to Planet Earth, NASA Headquarters
Session Organizer: Vanessa Stromer