| Summary: | The Chukchi Sea is an important transition region for Pacific-origin waters flowing north through the Bering Strait into the Arctic Ocean. The inflowing waters bring heat and freshwater, influencing the structure and variability of the entire Arctic Ocean. Monitoring processes in the Chukchi Sea is crucial for understanding Arctic Ocean variability, especially in a changing climate. While difficult accessibility leads to a lack of oceanographic in-situ measurements in the region, satellite altimetry provides precise information on sea surface at different spatial and temporal scales and can be used for studies of the current patterns. Here we present a novel long-term observational altimetry-based dataset of sea level and ocean currents, created with the implementation of the recent advanced algorithms and special techniques for the reliable detection of leads and determination of sea surface heights in the sea-ice-covered ocean. For the processing of the data, a careful analysis of the standard geophysical corrections was carried out. Altimetry-derived water heights were compared with the sea level from a numerical ocean model and validated against bottom pressure sensors on moorings and tide gauges. The created dataset allows us to observe seasonal and interannual variability of the regional sea level and geostrophic flow. In the first analyses, we investigate the flow through the Bering Strait and its variability in recent years. The divergence of the Alaskan Coastal Current from the coast under the influence of strong winds is assessed, as well as its relation to the strength and position of the Beaufort High.
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