Jason 2-Ocean Surface Topography Mission, a joint effort between the French space agency (CNES), the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), the NASA and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is expected to be operational from June, 2008.
The mission will provide data to monitor changes in global sea level and to better understand how ocean circulation and climate change are related. This data will be added to the climate data record on global sea levels that was started in 1992 by CNES and NASA through TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1 missions.
Jason-1 acquires few measurements along coastlines and catchments areas where rapidly changing terrain makes it especially difficult for the satellite’s altimeter to pick up the radar echo.
Differing from its predecessor, Jason-2 will provide more data on coasts and catchments through a precise-positioning system while its Ocean Surface Topography Mission will use a radar altimeter to measure the height of the sea surface. Combining these both data will permit to determine the sea level with high-accuracy; measurements which should be maintained in order to help scientists in making long-term climate predication models.
Therefore this technique could be routinely used by weather and climate agencies to make better forecasts.
More information on CNES and Europa websites
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