Comparison of Sea Surface Height Observed from Satellite Altimeters and the Ieodo Ocean Research Station

Over the past 30 years, satellite altimeters have continuously observed the sea surface height (SSH) in the global ocean, providing clear evidence for the global average sea level rise based on these observations. Accurate altimeter-observed SSH is essential for studying the spatial and temporal variability of SSH in regional seas. In this study, we utilized measurements from the Ieodo Ocean Research Station (IORS) and validated the SSH observed by satellite altimeters (Envisat, Jason-1, Jason-2, SARAL, Jason-3, and Sentinel-3A/B). The bias and root mean square error for SSH from each satellite ranged between 1.58-4.69 cm and 6.33-9.67 cm, respectively. As the matchup distance between the satellite ground track and IORS increased, the error of the satellite SSH significantly amplified. Tide and atmospheric effects in the satellite data were verified by estimating tides using harmonic analysis and calculating inverse barometric effects using atmospheric pressure from IORS. It was confirmed that for accurate tidal corrections of satellite SSH data around the Korean Peninsula, an improvement in the tide data of satellites is necessary.