The interannual variability of the North Atlantic Ocean revealed by combined data from TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason altimetric measurements

Abstract

A decade-long record of sea surface height from combined altimeter data taken by the TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason satellites was analyzed for studying the interannual variability of the North Atlantic Ocean. On time scales of 5-6 years, variations of sea surface height have maximum amplitudes in three areas: the subpolar gyre, the Gulf Stream gyre (the Gulf Stream and its recirculation), and the subtropical region. The variation of the subpolar gyre is 180 degrees out of phase with that of the Gulf Stream gyre at its eastern end. The variation of the Gulf Stream gyre at its western end is connected to that of the subtropical region, exhibiting phase propagation from the subtropics all the way to the eastern end of the Gulf Stream gyre. The patterns of phase change suggest possible roles of Rossby waves in the dynamics of the basin-wide variability. Copyright 2004 by the American Geophysical Union.