Mapping the sea surface using a GPS buoy

On May 22 and 24, 1995, a buoy, designed to float with the water surface and equipped with a GPS antenna, was deployed off the California coast at 16 locations near the Texaco oil platform, Harvest. The purpose of this deployment was threefold:.(1) to demonstrate the ability of this style of buoy to calibrate the TOPEXIPOSEIDON (TIP) altimeter range measurement as it overflew the platform: (2) to demonstrate the ability of the buoy to map the ocean's surface over a 10‐km‐diameter circle surrounding platform Harvest; and (3) to demonstrate the ability of the buoy to measure the sea state accurately. During the 1.6‐h period surrounding the time of the TIP overflight, the buoy‐measured sea level never differed by more than 1.5 cm from the sea level measured by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) acoustic tide gauge on the platform. The good agreement demonstrated the capability of this style of buoy to calibrate altimetric satellites. A paraboloid was fitted to sea level from 16 buoy l...