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Full catalog/JASON-1_L2_OST_GPN_E_GEODETIC
JASON-1_L2_OST_GPN_E_GEODETIC·vE·dataset

Precise sea-surface height from a radar altimeter (Jason-1)

Jason-1 GDR version E NetCDF Geodetic
ocean NASA POCLOUD Level 2 netCDF-4
In plain English

What it measures. Highly precise measurements of sea-surface height from a radar altimeter, along with related quantities like wave height and a wind-speed indicator, plus all the corrections needed to compute accurate sea level.

How it's made. Collected by the Jason-1 satellite during its geodetic mission, which bounces radar off the ocean to measure its height, combined with a high-precision orbit and delivered about 35 days after collection.

How & where you'd use it. A building-block input for ocean and sea-level science; researchers use the range and corrections to map sea-surface height precisely, often via higher-level products.

What's measured

OCEANS › OCEAN WAVES › SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHTOCEANS › SEA SURFACE TOPOGRAPHY › SEA SURFACE HEIGHT

Coverage & cadence

  • Time span2012-05-07 → 2013-06-21
  • Measured byJason-1 Geodetic (DORIS, JASON-1 Microwave Radiometer, POSEIDON-2)
  • Processing levelLevel 2
  • Spatial extent-180, -66.15, 180, 66.15
  • FormatsnetCDF-4
  • StatusCOMPLETE

What you can do with it

  • Watch sea-surface temperature and marine heatwaves
  • Spot algal blooms and ocean-colour shifts
  • Support fisheries and coastal monitoring
Official description

The Jason-1 Geophysical Data Records (GDR) Geodetic Mission contain full accuracy altimeter data, with a high precision orbit, provided approximately 35 days after data collection. The data are sorted into cycles that are approximately 11 days long and contain 280 pass files. The instruments on Jason-1 make direct observations of the following quantities: altimeter range, significant wave height, ocean radar backscatter cross-section (a measure of wind speed), ionospheric electron content (derived by a simple formula), tropospheric water content, mean sea surface, and position relative to the GPS satellite constellation. The GDR contain all relevant corrections needed to calculate the sea surface height.

Get the data

jason-1_l2_ost_gpn_e_geodetic_access.py
import earthaccess
earthaccess.login(strategy="netrc")          # free Earthdata Login

results = earthaccess.search_data(
    short_name="JASON-1_L2_OST_GPN_E_GEODETIC",
    version="E",
    bounding_box=(-122.5, 37.2, -121.8, 37.9),  # your area (W,S,E,N)
    temporal=("2024-01-01", "2024-12-31"),       # your dates
)
files = earthaccess.open(results)   # stream straight from POCLOUD
Browsing CMR needs no login. Downloading or streaming bytes needs a free Earthdata Login + the earthaccess package.