Satellite Altimetry and Earth Sciences: A Handbook of Techniques and Applications

Abstract

Satellite altimetry is not new. The first measurements were made from Skylab in 1973. However, altimetry has blossomed since the early 1990s, especially with results from the TOPEX/Poseidon altimeter mission, which began in 1992 and continues today. Few people missed seeing altimeter‐derived images or movies of the El Niñno/La Niña events in the late 1990s on television newscasts, though many may not have realized the source.