What is the difference between SSH and ADT?
SSH is what the altimeter system measures, and the quantity from which everything else is deduced (with also some in situ data for the MDT). SSH = (satellite altitude with respect to reference ellipsoid) – (satellite-to-surface distance) (see altimetry pages) Thus, in altimetry (it’s not the case in all oceanography), SSH can be defined as the sea surface height with respect to the reference ellipsoid, which means that, compared to ADT, there’s also the geoid height in it.
