Premium
Satellite‐derived interannual ocean bottom pressure variability and its relation to sea level
Author(s) -
Piecuch Christopher G.,
Quinn Katherine J.,
Ponte Rui M.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/grl.50549
Subject(s) - baroclinity , climatology , extratropical cyclone , sea level , oceanography , altimeter , satellite , environmental science , ocean current , geology , geodesy , engineering , aerospace engineering
Knowledge of the relationship between bottom pressure p b and sea level ζ is important for understanding ocean circulation and climate. We use recent Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) Release‐05 data along with altimetry to investigate the relationship between ζ and p b over long periods (>1 year) and large scales (>750 km). Elevated p b signals are observed over deep extratropical regions (e.g., Southern Ocean basins) and shallow or semi‐enclosed areas (e.g., Indonesian and Nordic seas). In these places, considerable ζ variance is explained by p b variance. Correlation between ζ and p b is significant in many regions, including instances of significant negative correlation suggestive of active baroclinic processes. Results exemplify the good quality of GRACE Release‐05 data and demonstrate that contemporary regional ζ variability cannot always be interpreted in terms of steric changes alone.