Mapping ocean tides with satellites: A computer simulation

Abstract

As a preliminary study for the future worldwide direct mapping of the open ocean tide with satellites equipped with precision altimeters we conducted a simulated study using sets of artificially generated altimeter data constructed from a realistic geoid and four pairs of major tides (O1‐Q1, M2‐N2, K1‐P1, and S2‐K2) in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. Recovery of the original geoid and eight tidal maps is accomplished by a space‐time, least squares harmonic analysis scheme. The resultant maps appear fairly satisfactory even when random noises up to ±100 cm are added to the altimeter data of sufficient spacetime density. The method also produces a refined geoid which is rigorously corrected for the dynamic tides.

Oceanic geoid and tides derived from Geos 3 satellite data in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean

“…The first source is, of course, the random measurement error of the instrument. However, as is shown by Zetler and Maul [1971], Won et al [1978], Maul and Yanaway [1978], and the present paper, this error can be overcome as long as it is random.…”

“…Since the altimeter data are obtained more or less ran-domly in time and space, this method is not applicable. The following method follows closely that of Won et al [1978], originally developed for a two-dimensional tidal analysis.…”

“…Therefore they concluded that it was not possible to retrieve tides from Geos 3 data. Won et al [1978] developed a similar least squares harmonic analysis method which was designed to extract simultaneously both the oceanic geoid and the tides for a surface (rather than for a single point) using satellite altimeter data. Both the geoid and the tides within a region were represented by a set of twodimensional functions.…”