Space-borne measurements of the time-dependent geostrophic ocean flow field

Abstract

A method is presented that can provide high-resolution (in space and time) satellite measurements of the absolute and time-varying surface geostrophic flow field. Based on the analysis of a high-resolution circulation model of the North Atlantic, it is demonstrated that a tandem satellite mission as anticipated from the French-U.S. Jason and Ocean Topography Experiment (TOPEX)/Poseidon missions flown along parallel tracks would be suitable to measure the velocity of the geostrophic surface flow field and its higher statistical moments, such as kinetic energy and Reynolds stresses, with a space and time resolution similar to that obtained currently for sea surface height data from the TOPEX/Poseidon mission. The anticipated remote geostrophic velocity observations would allow unprecedented studies of the ocean general circulation, including its mean and eddy energies, eddy-eddy, and eddy-mean flow interactions.