GAVDOS: Estabishment of a European radar altimeter calibration and sea-level monitoring site for JASON, ENVISAT and EURO-GLOSS

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 01.0310

Key words (English)

Airborne laser and gravity; solar spectrometry; water vapor radiometry; sea surface measurements;
Energy Saving; Scientific Research

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: EVR1-2001-40019

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 5. Frame Research Programme - 1.4a.8 Generic R&D activities

Short description (English)

See abstract

Further information (English)

Full name of research-institution/enterprise:
ETH Zürich
Institut für Geodäsie und Photogrammetrie
ETH-Hönggerberg

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Coordinator: Technical University of Crete (EL)

Abstract (English)

This is to establish an absolute sea level monitoring and altimeter calibration permanent facility on the isle of Gavdos, Crete, Greece. Its purpose is to:
a)ensure the unbiased establishment of mean sea level , as realised by the altimeter;
b) to monitor any blases and deformations of the earth TMs surface in the area;
c) to develop a regional geoids and sea surface topography model and;
d)to involve this project in WEGENER, IERS, IGS, and Euro-GLOSS.

The site is a crossing point of TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason, and adjacent to an ENVISAT pass.

It is proposed because:
1) the small island is in open sea, with small topography, and simple current circulation;
2) the tides are small;
3) calibration can be made on ascending and descending tracks, and;
4) the cross-over information can be used to remove directional blases.

Calibration of multiple missions at the same site with the same equipment bridges the results of one altimeter with the next.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 01.0310