Eastern Mediterranean Altimeter Calibration Network - eMACnet

The eastern Mediterranean Altimeter Calibration network-eMACnet, is the result of collaborative efforts in the Aegean since 2001. Originally with one permanent absolute calibration facility (Gavdos) and recently with a second site at Kasteli, Crete, Greece, both of these sites in collaboration with a local team from the Tech. Univ. of Crete. Since 2008 our team expanded to include the Nat. Tech. Univ. of Athens (NTUA). The primary purpose of the extended network is the calibration and validation of altimetry missions. The location of our sites though is also of interest to tsunami warning networks. We thus intend to provide our observations in near real-time to the European Tsunami Warning System (ETWS). At present, KASTELI in western Crete is delivering 1-minute sampled data every 15 minutes via EUMETCAST. Four more tide gauges are in operation at the sites of PALEKASTRO, eastern Crete (with CGRS), MANI- KARAVOSTASI, in southern Peloponnese, EMPORIO, Chios, and THASOS, in Northern Aegean. An additional system along with a CGRS receiver will be deployed at KYMI, north of Athens on the island of EVIA, followed by one on northern mainland Greece. This Aegean-wide network samples at the moment the following OSTM tracks, some of them in more than one location: 18, 33, 94, 109, and 185. We will present an overview of the project and results from the expanded network based on the latest release of GDRs and our plans for supporting the future altimeter missions of JASON-3, JASON-CS and SWOT.