Analysis of satellite-altimeter height measurements above continental ice sheets

Abstract

Abstract In order to estimate the accuracy of altimetric height measurements over ice sheets, an altimeter wave-form simulator has been developed, and different tracking methods have been tested. A large range of surface features, including large-scale and medium-scale features and micro-roughness have been taken into account for modeling of either surface-or volume-scattering. A large set of parameters affects the trailing edge of the radar wave form, so that re-tracking algorithms based on the detection of its leading edge provide better retrievals of the surface height than those based on the analysis of the whole wave form. A volume component is clearly present in the radar wave forms; its effect on the leading edge depends mostly on the snow grain-size (and therefore on the snow temperature) and on the pointing angle. However, on average, the induced error on the snow-surface height estimation should only be around 25 cm.