Evaluation of the Consistency between In Situ and Satellite Data for Sea Surface Monitoring at Continuous Tide Gauge Stations
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Abstract
Satellite altimetry has revolutionized the monitoring of sea surface height (SSH) variations, enabling analyses of ocean dynamics and mean dynamic topography (MDT) at global and regional scales. This study investigates SSH variations using data from the CryoSat-2 (CS2), Sentinel-6A (S6A), and Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) missions over a time series of approximately 10 years (2014–2024), comparing them with tide gauge observations from the Permanent Tide Gauge Network for Geodesy at the EMFOR (Fortaleza), EMSAL (Salvador), EMMAC (Macaé), and EMIMB (Imbituba) stations. An absolute approach with spatial extrapolation was employed to harmonize in situ and satellite data. The results show good agreement between altimetric and tide gauge measurements, with residuals consistent with instrumental uncertainties (on the order of centimeters). The Salvador tide gauge station exhibited the smallest residuals (0.01±0.04 m), highlighting the high precision of the SWOT mission, which showed the best agreement with tide gauge data. Estimates of MDT also showed dispersions of only a few centimeters, confirming the high sensitivity and effectiveness of altimetric missions in monitoring local ocean dynamics.
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