Airborne laser altimetry in the Ionian Sea, Greece

Airborne laser techniques have evolved during the last years and have been tested in several pilot projects which cover a wide range of geodetic applications. In this project, airborne laser altimetry was used to determine the sea level in coastal areas of Greece, and to connect satellite radar altimetry results over the deep sea with tide gauge stations at the coast. Because airborne laser altimetry is capable to provide sea surface heights at the decimeter to centimeter level, it allows for an independent validation of spaceborne radar altimetry results. Airborne laser data acquired along densely spaced tracks of a total of 30-h flight time were used to determine instantaneous sea surface heights of the Ionian Sea, Greece. Differential GPS and inertial platform data were utilized as ancillary information for the purpose of ensuring a precise trajectography of the aircraft. Emphasis was put on the assessment of errors and the reduction of the raw data to mean sea level by crossover analysis and the incorporation of tidal predictions. The airborne laser data yield a high-resolution sea surface over the coastal areas of the Ionian Sea. The most prominent feature is a steep gradient of the sea surface amounting to 15 m over a distance of 150 km. This slope can be followed all along the bathymetric relief between the Hellenic Arc and Hellenic Trench.