Ocean Surface Topography Science Team

The joint NASA/CNES Ocean Surface Topography Science Team (OSTST) supports basic research and analysis activities associated with joint satellite altimetry missions (TOPEX/Poseidon (TP), Jason-1, and Ocean Surface Topography Mission) and other ocean altimetry data sets. This solicitation calls for U.S. and non-European proposals for the Science Team. A similar announcement will be made by the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) for European proposals, and a joint selection and announcement will be coordinated by the two agencies in Spring 2012.

The goals of the OSTST are to provide the scientific underpinning for production of the best possible satellite-derived ocean surface topography data sets and to demonstrate the Earth science and applications arising from analyses of the ocean surface topography data. Specifically, this announcement seeks proposals to utilize the growing time series of multiple satellite altimeters. The team will also be involved in scientific preparations for the Jason-3 Mission, a cooperative mission between NASA, CNES, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) planned for launch in 2013. This solicitation also includes intercalibration/validation analyses of the Jason-3 mission during and after the verification phase. Special emphasis will be given to proposals that stress the use and application of satellite altimetry to basic research and operational projects in physical oceanography and related fields consistent with the strategic goals of NASA's Earth Science Program as part of its focus area on climate and climate variability.

The OST-ST is composed by PI (Principal Investigators). Mercator Ocean is a PI since 2007.

AVISO is managing the website with an historic of all the conferences from SWT and OST-ST.

>> Read the 2010 meeting summary

(The Jason-2 satellite. Crédits : CNES, juin 2005/Illust.D. Ducros)