ERS-1/2 Radar Altimeter Products

The Altimeter Data Processing System (ADP) of GFZ is one of the three hardware components of the Radar Altimeter and Tracking Data Processing Facility (RAT), which is part of the German Processing and Archiving Facility for ERS (D-PAF). ADP is responsible for the systematic acquisition and processing of ERS-1/2 Radar Altimeter Data, the data quality control and the generation of upgraded geophysical data products. These products are free available for ERS Principle Investigators (PIs) a few days after acquisition for the Quick-Look Products and after a delay of around three months for the Precise Products. For ERS-2 (no longer for ERS-1), the following Quick-Look and Precise Products are provided:

Quick-Look Products

The Quick-Look Products are upgraded data products, including additional range corrections (USO, SPTR) and corrections from up-to-date tide and ionosphere models. Originally, these products are based on the ERS-2 Radar Altimeter Fast Delivery Product (ERS2.ALT.URA).

1. QLOPR (Quick-Look Ocean Product, about 6-12 days delay, production on weekly basis):

   • Description and Quality
   • Fortran Program to read Quick-Look Ocean Product Records
   • QLOPR Application Demo
   • QLOPR Detailed Description (ASCII)
   • QLOPR Sample Data (ASCII)
   
   

2. QLOPC (Quick-Look Ocean Crossovers, based on the QLOPR, about 6-12 days delay, production on weekly basis):

   • Description and Quality
   • Fortran program to read Quick-Look Ocean Crossovers
   • QLOPC Detailed Description (ASCII)
   • QLOPC Sample Data (ASCII)
   
   

3. SSHQL (Quick-Look Sea Surface Height Model, grids of SSH, SWH and wind speed covering the last 35 days, production on weekly basis):

   • Description and Quality
   • Fortran program to read a Quick-Look Sea Surface Height Model
   • SSHQL Application Demo
   • SSHQL Detailed Description (ASCII)
   • SSHQL Sample Data (ASCII)

Precise Products

The Precise Products are upgraded data products, including additional range corrections (USO, SPTR) and corrections from up-to-date tide and ionosphere models. Originally, these products are based on the ERS-1/2 Radar Altimeter Ocean Product (ERS-1/2.ALT.OPR02).

For ERS-1 and ERS-2, two types of Sea Surface Height Models are provided:

1. SSH__S (Short Period Sea Surface Height Model, about 3 months delay, production every 35 days based on one ERS-1/2 cycle):

   • Description and Quality
   • Fortran Program to read a Short Period Sea Surface Height Model
   • SSH__S Application Demo
   • SSH__S Sample Data (ASCII)
   
   

2. SSH__L (Long Period Sea Surface Height Model, about 3 months delay, production half-yearly):

   • Description and Quality
   • Fortran Program to read a Long Period Sea Surface Height Model
   • SSH__L Application Demo
   • SSH__L Sample Data (ASCII)

Please check the product list for ordering!

Access to ERS-1/2 Radar Altimeter Products

The ERS-1/2 Radar Altimeter Precise Products generated by GFZ are only free available for ERS Principal Investigators (PIs).

Other users have the following choice to order data products:

• Send us an e-mail and we will order the data for you
• Search and order by ESA's WWW-interface