Mobile version

Aviso: all set for GDRs

Patrick Vincent (Cnes, France)

Joint Verification Team (JVT) meeting at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, California. February 24, 1993. Terrible weather. But Cnes Chief Scientist Michel Lefebvre helps us keep our spirits up. He's just learned that he's a grandfather again. Michel does a quick survey of all the children born into the families of engineers and scientists working on Topex/Poseidon.

One day, he tells us, some of these little ones will want to play a few bars from the music of Topex/Poseidon, the overture for a concert of new music from other satellite oceanographic missions.

OK! You can count on all of us Aviso people to hum the Topex/Poseidon melody for a long time yet . . . But first, let's look at what we've already achieved.

Data was distributed gradually during the Topex/Poseidon Verification phase: test CD-Roms, followed by four with version-0 merged Interim Geophysical Data Records (IGDR-Ms), and in less than two months ten merged IGDRs distributed before the JVT meeting.
PIs not only helped validate the first measurements, they also soon had access to data to "map" the ocean. Teams from the GRGS, from the IMG, Ifremer and the University of Delft report in this issue.

Others will follow, I am sure, to show that Topex/Poseidon is taking our knowledge of the ocean a quantum leap forward. The objectives behind Aviso are to:
- inform users,
- distribute data and receive the PIs' expert comments,
- receive users' feedback and act on it.

Aviso has been made possible by good coordination between the data management experts and the scientists.
The distribution of version-1 CD-Roms, a big improvement in the quality of the scientific data, soon provided proof of Aviso's flexibility and reprocessing capabilities. Aviso is not simply a passive distribution and archiving center, but an attentive partner for the scientists.

We've worked hard on product quality: data processing quality but also scientific quality thanks to routine visual checks, statistics and analyses of differences at crossover points. The CLS Space Oceanography Group has played a key role: thanks to the Aviso/Quick-look processing systems it set up for Cnes, the Topex/Poseidon merged products have been validated and several anomalies identified.

The Geophysical Data Record (GDR) stage will start soon.
As several of the presentations at the JVT meeting showed, joint use of the measurements from the two altimeters is now possible and must continue.
The Aviso data on CD-Roms will progress further. Take advantage: if you have any suggestions on how we could improve the quality and contents of the merged products, or ideas for altimetric products that could be useful for oceanography or geophysics, please let us know.

Michel, thank you! Your enthusiasm is contagious: I've got the bug, and I'm not the only one. The Aviso teams will nurture and spread it by continuing to talk with users. Engineers and scientists have been talking for over ten years to make Topex/Poseidon succeed. Let's keep the dialog going: more missions will come . . .

EnglishFrançais
Rss feedsContactPartnersFAQLexiconLegal noticePersonal Data Protection PolicyMobile
You must enable cookies in your browser preferences to save the modifications
You are using an older version of Internet Explorer, please update to take full advantage of Aviso+ features

Customize the home page

View all widgets
Reduce display
Public profile
User profile

Select/Deselect widgets

Discover AVISO+

Customizable home, reading tools, products search guide, etc.. Discover step by step the features of the new site AVISO+.

Customizable homepage

This home page is composed of blocks called "widgets".

Rearrange the blocks with a "Click & Drop".

Hide a widget with the cross at the top right. Reset or add a widget with the "wrench" icon. The "User" and "Public" profiles offer a predefined organization.

All the modifications are automatically saved as cookies on your machine so as to enable you to have your own specific AVISO+.

Reading tools

Ease your reading by choosing the page background colour (black/white) and/or by modifying the font size.

Browsing menu and breadcrum trail

To ease your browsing through AVISO+, you can use at any time the main banner items with the interactive submenus or use the browsing menu on the left side of the screen (it is open by default). For more readiness of the page contents, you can fold and unfold the browsing menu by clicking on the tab. At any time you can know where you are thanks to the browsing menu or the breadcrum at the top of the page.

Products search guide

The first submenu of the "Data" banner item leads you to a new search form enabling you to find quickier the product that suits your needs. The list of results is updated according to your selection criteria.

AVISO+ Multimedia

The first submenu of the "Multimedia" banner item leads you to AVISO+ collections of images and videos linked to altimetry and its applications. Have a nice visit!