Topic: Satellite Ocean Heat Content Suite outage of Jason-3 Sea Surface Height Anomaly input

 

Date Issued:  Issued January 19, 2021 1836Z

 

Product(s) or Data Impacted: Satellite Ocean Heat Content Suite

Date/Time of Initial Impact: January 15, 2021  1200Z

 

Date/Time of Expected End: TBD

 

Length of Event: TBD

 

 

NOAA uses Sea Surface Height Anomaly (SSHa) data from various altimeters processed through the ALPS system at NAVO. NAVO has not yet implemented software to handle the new Jason-3 format "f" IGDRs, so they have continued to use Jason-3 format "d" IGDRs, which CNES stopped generating as of January 1. Because NAVO uses a 14-day moving window of IGDRs, there have not been Jason-3 Sea Surface Height Anomaly IGDRs available for input for Satellite Ocean Heat Content processing since January 14. The Altimetry Data Fusion Center (ADFC) has started testing the new format. Until the new NAVO software is implemented Jason-3 SSHas will not be available for input to the Satellite Ocean Heat Content processing system, which will result in degradation of the Satellite Ocean Heat content products.