The Wind Effect on Interferometric Altimeter Validation Using Steric Method in South China Sea

Recently, interferometric altimeters (IAs), such as the surface water and ocean topography (SWOT) satellite, have been launched and will improve the observation of ocean dynamics. The validation of altimeters is a complex and important process that can effectively improve their observation accuracy. For the IA validation of sea surface height (SSH) in 2-D, it is normal to use the steric height (SH) to validate the SSH. However, the validation method is affected by many factors. In order to improve the validation accuracy, the South China Sea (SCS), which is a suitable area for validation of China’s offshore, was selected in this study to analyze the impact of wind on the validation procedures. Through the analysis of the spatial–temporal relationships between wind speed and SH and SSH (SH-SSH), we found correlations between wind speed and validation results. The high wind speeds can lead to a certain deviation in the relationship between SH and SSH, and the special weather conditions make it unsuitable for validation. Meanwhile, in terms of time, May is the time when the wind speed is relatively low, making it more suitable for validation. Also, it is better when the wind speed is less than 12 m/s and the range of U wind and V wind should be −4 to 2 m/s. These analyses are useful for the validation procedures in SSH.