What can we learn from Global Altimetry/Hydrography comparisons?

Abstract

Differences and complementarities between altimeter and hydrographic data are studied to describe the sea level and ocean circulation variations in terms of steric and nonsteric contributions. Altimeter sea level anomalies (SLA) and hydrographic dynamic height anomalies (DHA) agree remarkably well. They also reveal, however, systematic large-scale differences in several areas of the Pacific and Indian oceans that are related to a barotropic, Sverdrup-like, response of the ocean to wind forcing. In addition, the use of the two data sets provides a good estimation of the partition between barotropic and baroclinic modes needed for data synthesis or assimilation studies. Copyright 2006 by the American Geophysical Union.