THE VALIDITY DOMAIN OF SATELLITE ALTIMETRY DATA FOR VALIDATION OF ALGORITHMS FOR ESTIMATION WIND WAVE HEIGHT

Satellite altimetry stands as one of the paramount sources of information regarding significant wave height, primarily due to its global coverage and near real-time availability. This study evaluates the radius of the quasihomogenity region of the eind waves field is estimated based on in situ and altimetry measurements. In situ data were collected during five marine expeditions utilizing drifting wave buoys (Spotter) and the Sea Vision radar system. Ten altimetric missions (Level 3) provided by CMEMS, as well as ERA5 reanalysis of wind speed, were processed. The outcome of the study is an assessment of the maximum radius circle centered on the satellite measurement point, within which the wave field can be considered homogeneous, enabling the use of altimetry data as reference for comparison with other data sources, as well as a methodology for refining this estimate taking into account the heterogeneity of the wind field.