Estimating mean dynamic topography in the tropical Pacific Ocean from gravity and altimetry satellites

International audienceA new geoid model, combining the CHAMP satellite gravity data and an accurate altimetric mean sea surface, was used to investigate the 1993–1999 mean dynamic topography in the tropical Pacific Ocean. The mean dynamic topography, represented by a spherical harmonic expansion to degree 60 appear to be consistent with our knowledge of the tropical circulation, notably the South Equatorial Counter Current which is clearly visible in the western Pacific. This satellite solution, validated with in‐situ data, is independent from any climatology and has a resolution similar to other classical mean dynamic topographies. Altimetry combined with geodesy can thus provide an absolute sea level which will be useful for data assimilation and tropical oceanography

Estimating mean dynamic topography in the tropical Pacific Ocean from gravity and altimetry satellites

SIGLEAvailable from Bibliothek des Instituts fuer Weltwirtschaft, ZBW, Duesternbrook Weg 120, D-24105 Kiel W 1190 (59) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman

The status of measurement of the Mediterranean mean dynamic topography by geodetic techniques

We review the measurement of the mean dynamic topography (MDT) of the Mediterranean using ellipsoidal heights of sea level at discrete tide gauge locations, and across the entire basin using satellite altimetry, subtracting estimates of the geoid obtained from recent models. This ‘geodetic approach’ to the determination of the MDT can be compared to the independent ‘ocean approach’ that involves the use of in situ oceanographic measurements and ocean modelling. We demonstrate that with modern geoid and ocean models there is an encouraging level of consistency between the two sets of MDTs. In addition, we show how important geodetic MDT information can be in judging between existing global ocean circulation models, and in providing insight for the development of new ones. The review makes clear the major limitations in Mediterranean data sets that prevent a more complete validation, including the need for improved geoid models of high spatial resolution and accuracy. Suggestions are made on how a greater amount of reliable geo-located tide gauge information can be obtained in the future

Comparison of sea-ice freeboard distributions from aircraft data and cryosat-2

The only remote sensing technique capable of obtain- ing sea-ice thickness on basin-scale are satellite altime- ter missions, such as the 2010 launched CryoSat-2. It is equipped with a Ku-Band radar altimeter, which mea- sures the height of the ice surface above the sea level. This method requires highly accurate range measure- ments. During the CryoSat Validation Experiment (Cry- oVEx) 2011 in the Lincoln Sea, Cryosat-2 underpasses were accomplished with two aircraft, which carried an airborne laser-scanner, a radar altimeter and an electro- magnetic induction device for direct sea-ice thickness re- trieval. Both aircraft flew in close formation at the same time of a CryoSat-2 overpass. This is a study about the comparison of the sea-ice freeboard and thickness dis- tribution of airborne validation and CryoSat-2 measure- ments within the multi-year sea-ice region of the Lincoln Sea in spring, with respect to the penetration of the Ku- Band signal into the snow

Arctic sea surface height variability and change from satellite radar altimetry and GRACE, 2003–2014

Arctic sea surface height (SSH) is poorly observed by radar altimeters due to the poor coverage of the polar oceans provided by conventional altimeter missions and because large areas are perpetually covered by sea ice, requiring specialized data processing. We utilize SSH estimates from both the ice-covered and ice-free ocean to present monthly estimates of Arctic Dynamic Ocean Topography (DOT) from radar altimetry south of 81.5°N and combine this with GRACE ocean mass to estimate steric height. Our SSH and steric height estimates show good agreement with tide gauge records and geopotential height derived from Ice-Tethered Profilers. The large seasonal cycle of Arctic SSH (amplitude ∼5 cm) is dominated by seasonal steric height variation associated with seasonal freshwater fluxes, and peaks in October–November. Overall, the annual mean steric height increased by 2.2 ± 1.4 cm between 2003 and 2012 before falling to circa 2003 levels between 2012 and 2014 due to large reductions on the Siberian shelf seas. The total secular change in SSH between 2003 and 2014 is then dominated by a 2.1 ± 0.7 cm increase in ocean mass. We estimate that by 2010, the Beaufort Gyre had accumulated 4600 km3 of freshwater relative to the 2003–2006 mean. Doming of Arctic DOT in the Beaufort Sea is revealed by Empirical Orthogonal Function analysis to be concurrent with regional reductions in the Siberian Arctic. We estimate that the Siberian shelf seas lost ∼180 km3 of freshwater between 2003 and 2014, associated with an increase in annual mean salinity of 0.15 psu yr−1. Finally, ocean storage flux estimates from altimetry agree well with high-resolution model results, demonstrating the potential for altimetry to elucidate the Arctic hydrological cycle

Arctic sea surface height variability and change from satellite radar altimetry and GRACE, 2003-2014

Arctic sea surface height (SSH) is poorly observed by radar altimeters due to the poor coverage of the polar oceans provided by conventional altimeter missions and because large areas are perpetually covered by sea ice, requiring specialized data processing. We utilize SSH estimates from both the ice-covered and ice-free ocean to present monthly estimates of Arctic Dynamic Ocean Topography (DOT) from radar altimetry south of 81.5°N and combine this with GRACE ocean mass to estimate steric height. Our SSH and steric height estimates show good agreement with tide gauge records and geopotential height derived from Ice-Tethered Profilers. The large seasonal cycle of Arctic SSH (amplitude ∼5 cm) is dominated by seasonal steric height variation associated with seasonal freshwater fluxes, and peaks in October–November. Overall, the annual mean steric height increased by 2.2 ± 1.4 cm between 2003 and 2012 before falling to circa 2003 levels between 2012 and 2014 due to large reductions on the Siberian shelf seas. The total secular change in SSH between 2003 and 2014 is then dominated by a 2.1 ± 0.7 cm increase in ocean mass. We estimate that by 2010, the Beaufort Gyre had accumulated 4600 km3 of freshwater relative to the 2003–2006 mean. Doming of Arctic DOT in the Beaufort Sea is revealed by Empirical Orthogonal Function analysis to be concurrent with regional reductions in the Siberian Arctic. We estimate that the Siberian shelf seas lost ∼180 km3 of freshwater between 2003 and 2014, associated with an increase in annual mean salinity of 0.15 psu yr−1. Finally, ocean storage flux estimates from altimetry agree well with high-resolution model results, demonstrating the potential for altimetry to elucidate the Arctic hydrological cycle

How well can we measure the ocean’s mean dynamic topography from space?

Recent gravity missions have produced a dramatic improvement in our ability to measure the ocean’s mean dynamic topography (MDT) from space. To fully exploit this oceanic observation, however, we must quantify its error. To establish a baseline, we first assess the error budget for an MDT calculated using a 3rd generation GOCE geoid and the CLS01 mean sea surface (MSS). With these products, we can resolve MDT spatial scales down to 250 km with an accuracy of 1.7 cm, with the MSS and geoid making similar contributions to the total error. For spatial scales within the range 133–250 km the error is 3.0 cm, with the geoid making the greatest contribution. For the smallest resolvable spatial scales (80–133 km) the total error is 16.4 cm, with geoid error accounting for almost all of this. Relative to this baseline, the most recent versions of the geoid and MSS fields reduce the long and short-wavelength errors by 0.9 and 3.2 cm, respectively, but they have little impact in the medium-wavelength band. The newer MSS is responsible for most of the long-wavelength improvement, while for the short-wavelength component it is the geoid. We find that while the formal geoid errors have reasonable global mean values they fail capture the regional variations in error magnitude, which depend on the steepness of the sea floor topography