Durand Fabien auteur aut IRD Marin Frédéric auteur aut IRD Fuda J. L. auteur aut IRD Terre T. auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf born digital access This paper presents an assessment of SARAL/AltiKa satellite altimeter for the monitoring of a tropical western boundary current in the southwestern Pacific Ocean: the East Caledonian Current. We compare surface geostrophic current estimates obtained from two versions of AltiKa along-track sea level height (AVISO 1 Hz and PEACHI 40 Hz) with two kinds of dedicated in situ datasets harvested along the satellite ground tracks: one deep-ocean current-meter mooring deployed in the core of the boundary current and five glider transects. It is concluded that the AltiKa-derived current successfully captures the velocity of the boundary current, with a standard error of 11 cm/s with respect to the in situ data. It also appears important to reference AltiKa sea level anomaly to the latest mean dynamic topography available in our area. Doing so, Ka-band altimetry provides a satisfactory representation of the western boundary current. Thereby, it usefully contributes to observing its variability in such a remote and underobserved ocean region. However, the rather long repeat period of SARAL (35 days) in comparison to the high frequency variability seen in the flow velocity of the boundary current calls for a combined use of SARAL with the other satellite altimetry missions. specialized AltiKa coastal altimetry East Caledonian Current glider SPICE WBC PACIFIQUE NOUVELLE CALEDONIE 032 126 064 40 1 1-22 2017 0149-0419 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010069354 10.1080/01490419.2016.1258375 0149-0419 [F B010069354] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010069354 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/intranet/publi/2017/04/010069354.pdf Accès réservé (Intranet de l'IRD) IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2017-05-09 2017-08-23 fdi:010069354 fre