Articles | Volume 21, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-133-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-133-2025
Research article
 | 
24 Jan 2025
Research article |  | 24 Jan 2025

Understanding uncertainties in the satellite altimeter measurement of coastal sea level: insights from a round-robin analysis

Florence Birol, François Bignalet-Cazalet, Mathilde Cancet, Jean-Alexis Daguze, Wassim Fkaier, Ergane Fouchet, Fabien Léger, Claire Maraldi, Fernando Niño, Marie-Isabelle Pujol, and Ngan Tran

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Cited articles

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Short summary
We take advantage of the availability of several algorithms for most of the terms/corrections used to calculate altimetry sea level data to quantify and analyze the sources of uncertainty associated with the approach to the coast. The results highlight their hierarchy. Tidal corrections and mean sea surface height contribute to coastal sea level data uncertainties. Improving the retracking algorithm is today the main factor to bring accurate altimetry sea level data closer to the shore.
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