UCL CPOM CryoSat2 Polar Ocean Significant Wave Height 2011-2019

We present the significant ocean surface wave heights in the Arctic and Southern Oceans from CryoSat-2 data. We use a semi-analytical model for an idealised synthetic aperture satellite radar or pulse-limited radar altimeter echo power. We develop a processing methodology that specifically considers both the Synthetic Aperture and Pulse Limited modes of the radar that change close to the sea ice edge within the Arctic Ocean. All CryoSat-2 echoes to date were matched by our idealised echo revealing wave heights over the period 2011-2019. Our retrieved data were contrasted to existing processing of CryoSat-2 data and wave model data, showing the improved fidelity and accuracy of the semi-analytical echo power model and the newly developed processing methods. We contrasted our data to in situ wave buoy measurements, showing improved data retrievals in seasonal sea ice covered seas. We have shown the importance of directly considering the correct satellite mode of operation in the Arctic Ocean where SAR is the dominant operating mode. Our new data are of specific use for wave model validation close to the sea ice edge and is available at the link in the data availability statement.

NERC NE/R000654/1 Towards a marginal Arctic sea ice cover.

Alternate title: Polar Data Centre (PDC) record GB/NERC/BAS/PDC/01643

Date (Publication): 2022-04-29

Citation identifier: http://www.antarctica.ac.uk/dms/metadata.php?id= / GB/NERC/BAS/PDC/01643

Point of contact

Organisation name	Individual name	Electronic mail address	Role
British Antarctic Survey		pdc@bas.ac.uk	Custodian
NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre	Heorton, H.	pdc@bas.ac.uk	Originator

Maintenance and update frequency: Unknown

Keywords

NDGO0001

NERC OAI Harvesting

NERC_DDC

GCMD Parameter Valids

EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Ocean Waves > Significant Wave Height

BAS Free-text keywords

Antarctic
Arctic
CryoSat2
Ocean
waves

Use limitation: Data released under Open Government Licence V3.0: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/.

Access constraints: Other restrictions

Other constraints: Data released under Open Government Licence V3.0: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/.

Language: English

Topic category

Environment
Oceans

Begin date: 2011-01-01

End date: 2019-05-31

Reference system identifier: OGP / urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::4326

Distribution format

Distributor contact

Organisation name	Individual name	Electronic mail address	Role
Polar Data Centre - British Antarctic Survey		pdc@bas.ac.uk	Distributor

OnLine resource

Protocol	Linkage	Name
http	https://ramadda.data.bas.ac.uk/repository/entry/show?entryid=d96406df-ec66-45bb-979a-4338061ad289	GET DATA

Hierarchy level: Dataset

Domain consistency

Measure identification: INSPIRE / Conformity_001

Conformance result

Title: INSPIRE Data Specification on unknown theme Guidelines

Date

Explanation: See the referenced specification

Pass: No

Statement: The retracker fit metric is supplied alongside the individual data records to indicate the accuracy of the retrieved data. For the gridded data product, data accuracy filtering and mode debiasing was performed. The gridded data is give daily with many empty grid cells where the satellite did not cross for that day. These data celss have nan values.

Data is supplied over all locations where a record was retrieved. This can be over sea ice. We supply a sea ice mask within the file to indicated which data points are for the open ocean.

We provide data for all open ocean surfaces as defined by the spatial coverage. We give particular attention for data filtering to avoid sea ice contaminated data retrievals, but to also obtain data as close to the sea ice edge as possible. We analyse NSIDC sea ice concentration data to compare our data to the sea ice extent .