The CMA's chief processing tasks are precise determination of radar measurements, instrument errors and geophysical corrections. It generates level 2 products (GDRs, available within three hours to 30 days, depending on accuracy requirements)** and validation products (crossover points, CorSSH and SLAs).
Nasa operates an identical center at its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

The CMA calculates the following corrections:

• Tides (solid earth, ocean and pole tides, etc.)
  Corrections for solid earth and sea surface height variations due to the attraction of the Sun and Moon. Calculated by models.
  Order of magnitude: 1 m in mid-ocean, up to 15-20 m near the shoreline.
• Tidal loading
  Corrections for height variations due to changes in tide-induced forces acting on the Earth's surface. Calculated by models. (?)
  Order of magnitude: 30 cm
• Ionosphere
  Correction for the path delay in the radar return signal due to electron content in the atmosphere. Calculated by combining radar altimeter measurements acquired at two separate frequencies (C-band and K_u-band for Topex and Jason-1, K_u-band and S-band for Envisat) or from Doris measurements (Topex/Poseidon, Jason-1 and Envisat).
  Order of magnitude: 0 to 50 cm
• Wet troposphere
  Correction for the path delay in the radar return signal due to liquid water in the atmosphere. Calculated from radiometer measurements and meteorological models.
  Order of magnitude: 0 to 50 cm
• Dry troposphere
  Correction for the path delay in the radar return signal due to the atmosphere. Calculated from meteorological models.
  Order of magnitude: 2.3 m
• Inverse barometer
  Correction for variations in sea surface height due to atmospheric pressure variations (atmospheric loading). Calculated from meteorological models.
• Electromagnetic bias
  Correction for bias in measurements introduced by varying reflectivity of wave crests and troughs. Correction calculated from models. Bias uncertainty is currently the biggest factor in altimeter error budgets.

• USO correction (Ultra-Stable Oscillator).
  Correction for drift of onboard oscillators used for the internal clock, particularly for sending radar pulses. The degree of drift depends on the oscillator frequency.
  Order of magnitude: 1 cm
• Center of gravity
  Correction for variations in the satellite's center of gravity, due to fuel consumption, solar panel orientation, and other factors.
  Order of magnitude:
• Correction tables
  Corrections for instrument and algorithm effects that cannot be modeled. These tables are derived from altimeter simulations.
  Order of magnitude: a few centimeters
• Waveforms (before retracking)
  Correction for effects due to filters used to eliminate certain frequencies in the return radar signal.
  Order of magnitude: a few centimeters

Other CMA operations

• Precise position estimates (retracking)
  Correction for inaccuracies in onboard algorithms.
  Order of magnitude:
• The CMA also compares measurements with a previously calculated mean sea surface and geoid.