The Topex satellite passes over a point on the ocean at a height above the ellip

Question

The Topex satellite passes over a point on the ocean at a height above the ellipsoid (mean surface height) of 700 km (H_c). The travel time of the pulse from the satellite to the Earth and back (from which we can calculate H_s) is 4.666666 milliseconds. What is the height (h) of the ocean surface? 30 days later the satellite passes over the same location again. This time the travel time of the pulse is 4.666672 milliseconds. Has the surface gone up or has it gone down? By how much? What might cause the surface to do this?

Explanation / Answer

iii)    Height of ocean surface = 1400000 - ( 2.997 * 108 * 4.666666 * 10-3)

                                              = 1400.19 m

                                              =   1.4 km

iv)    It has gone down .

=>    It has gone down by =    1.4 - 1.398

                                          =    2 m

It is due to rotation of Earth .

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