Arctic Sea Surface Determination with Combined CryoSat-2 and ICESat-2 Data.

Due to the presence of sea ice, determining the sea surface height in the Arctic Ocean remains a significant challenge. State-of-the-art Arctic Mean Sea Surface (MSS) products are primarily derived from radar altimetry missions like CryoSat-2. However, the ICESat-2 laser altimeter can offer valuable sea surface observations up to 88° N latitude, extending the observational reach. This paper analyses the performance of combined CryoSat-2 and ICESat-2 data in determining the Arctic sea surface. Comparisons of overlapping observations from both missions reveal excellent consistency, with an inter-mission bias of less than 1 cm in the Arctic. Different geophysical corrections are considered, and the results suggest that only the ocean tide correction needs to be unified, while other corrections show minimal discrepancies. The MSS derived from combined data boasts both superior spatial coverage and precision compared to individual missions. The impact of summer melt pond is also discussed. The data from June, July and August are seriously contaminated, but only have limited effect on the mean sea surface calculation. Overall, the combined use of CryoSat-2 and ICESat-2 data offers a promising approach to accurately determining the Arctic sea surface, paving the way for improved understanding of sea level change and its implications in this critical region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]