Applications of Satellite Altimetry in Ocean Observation

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last 30 years, satellite altimetry has provided global high-accuracy sea surface height measurements, enhancing our understanding of the upper ocean circulation from the (sub-) mesoscale to larger scales. The development of novel technologies, such as SAR Doppler altimetry, interferometric altimetry and swath instruments, together with new methods of reprocessing historical data, offers unique opportunities to study ocean dynamics from satellite altimetry data.

Satellite altimetry was initially designed to monitor the open ocean. However, new missions and efforts have aimed at extending the capabilities of current altimeters towards high latitudes and coastal zones. A common objective of recent altimetric missions, such as the Sentinel-3 series or the wide-swath SWOT mission, has been to resolve finer scales than previous altimeters. Altimetric observations are used to study the ocean circulation at the mesoscale and submesoscale (spatial scales > 15 km). These small scales drive the vertical transport of properties, and the two-dimensional data provided by altimeters are key to improving our understanding of the dynamics at play. In addition, synergies between satellite altimetry and in situ observations (e.g. the Argo system) allow for the assessment of the three-dimensional dynamics associated with these structures.

In this Special Issue, we invite high-quality scientific papers that use satellite altimetry observations to study the dynamics of the ocean. We welcome studies dealing with: (i) the assessment of global and regional sea level, (ii) surface currents and sea state at different spatiotemporal scales, (iii) multi-platform observations, (iv) the interaction between the open ocean and the coastal seas and (v) the evaluation of uncertainties related to altimetry data.

Dr. Antonio Sánchez-Román
Dr. Bàrbara Barceló-Llull
Dr. Juan M. Sayol
Guest Editors

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