TOPEX/POSEIDON Science Investigations Plan

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TOPEX/POSEIDON Science Investigations Plan

TOPEX/POSEIDON is a satellite mission that will use the technique of radar altimetry to make precise measurement of sea level with a primary goal of studying the global ocean circulation. The mission represents the culmination of the development of satellite altimetry over the past two decades. The major thrust of the mission is a commitment to measuring sea level with an unprecedented accuracy such that the small-amplitude, basinwide sea level changes that bear significant effects on global change can be detected. The mission will be conducted jointly by NASA and the French Space Agency. The 3 to 5 year mission will study the long-term mean and variability of ocean circulation. An international team of 38 principal investigators was established to conduct scientific investigations in ocean circulation, tides, and Marine geophysics using data from the mission. Brief descriptions of the planned investigations as well as a summary of the major elements of the mission are provided.