Synergy between surface drifters and altimetry to increase the accuracy of sea level anomaly and geostrophic current maps in the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract

Abstract Knowledge of ocean surface geostrophic circulation has been greatly improved due to satellite observations. However, it is essential to use different observation sources (satellites and in situ data) in order to improve accuracy and resolution. This study combines along-track Sea Level Anomalies (SLA) with geostrophic velocity estimated from surface drifters to map SLA and associated geostrophic current anomalies in the Gulf of Mexico. Firstly, substantial pre-processing is needed on the drifter data to extract the geostrophic component of the signal in order to be consistent with the physical content provided by altimetry. This step includes estimating and removing the Ekman current, Stokes drift and wind slippage. Three kinds of drifters are used: – Drifters belonging to Woods Hole Group, a CLS Group company that launches their own drifters in the Gulf of Mexico. – Drifters launched in the framework of the Lagrangian Submesoscale ExpeRiment (LASER) campaign (January-April 2016). – Drifters from Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML). Secondly, drifters and along-track SLA from Jason2, HY2, SARAL and Cryosat-2 are combined through multivariate objective analysis to map a daily time series of SLA and associated geostrophic current anomalies from 01/09/2015 to 30/04/2016. Finally, comparisons with independent data reveal the improved agreement of maps combining both altimetry and drifter data, especially for the meridional component of geostrophic current.