Features •Technical information on space observing systems; mainly satellite altimetry •Includes specific case studies illustrating real-world applications of altimetry. •Up-to-date applications to dynamics of open oceans and to coastal oceanography •Very important update for a field that has seen rapid evolution and development over the last decade •Well known editors and a world-class list of contributors Summary Satellite remote sensing, in particular by radar altimetry, is a crucial technique for observations of the ocean surface and many aspects of land surfaces, and paramount importance for climate and environmental studies. It also discusses related space-based observations of the ocean surface and the marine geoid, as well as applications of satellite altimetry to the cryosphere and land surface waters; operational oceanography and its applications to navigation, fishing, and defense.