Using High-Resolution Altimetry to Observe Mesoscale Signals

An Ocean System Simulation Experiment is used to quantify the observing capability of the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission and its contribution to higher-quality reconstructed sea level anomaly (SLA) fields using optimal interpolation. The paper focuses on the potential of SWOT for mesoscale observation (wavelengths larger than 100 km and time periods larger than 10 days) and its ability to replace or complement altimetry for classical mesoscale applications. For mesoscale variability, the wide swath from SWOT provides an unprecedented sampling capability. SWOT alone would enable the regional surface signal reconstruction as precisely as a four-altimeter constellation would, in regions where temporal sampling is optimum. For some specifics latitudes, where swath sampling is degraded, SWOT capabilities are reduced and show performances equivalent to the historical two-altimeter constellation. In this case, merging SWOT with the two-altimeter constellation stabilizes the global sampling and fully compensates the swath time sampling limitations. Benefits of SWOT measurement are more important within the swath. It would allow a precise local reconstruction of mesoscale structures. Errors of surface signal reconstruction within the swath represent less than 1% (SLA) to 5% (geostrophic velocities reconstruction) of the signal variance in a pessimistic roll error reduction. The errors are slightly reduced by merging swath measurements with the conventional nadir measurements.