Global mesoscale variability from the Geosat Exact Repeat Mission - Correlation with ocean depth

Abstract

A simple derivative filter technique for extracting mesoscale variability from satellite altimeter data having large-amplitude, long-wavelength errors, with no data adjustments necessary, is presented. The method is applied to the first year of Geosat Exact Repeat Mission data. The main advantage over previous filter methods is that the derivative filter is only two points long, so that it produces no edge effects. Short profiles can thus be included in the analysis. The derivative filter also transforms a dynamic height profile into a dynamic slope profile. The dynamic slope of the sea surface is a parameter that can be measured independently. Moreover, if the ocean current is in geostrophic balance, then the dynamic gradient of the sea surface is proportional to the current velocity.