Linking sea surface height to (sub)mesoscale ocean dynamics: the SeaGoLSWOT campaign in the NW Mediterranean (Fall 2014)
Résumé
Surface and internal ocean dynamics are strongly connected at the (sub)mesoscale and this link has been identified as a central driver in structuring biogeochemical and ecological processes. Although many theoretical approaches have been proposed to infer subsurface information from surface observations, direct and quantitative observations of this link remain particularly challenging. The SeaGoLSWOT campaigns aim at tackling this challenge by coupling biophysical three-dimensional mappings of (sub)mesoscale structures to altimetry observations from AirSWOT missions over the NW Mediterranean. AirSWOT is the airborne version of the SWOT sensor, designed to provide wide-swath maps at an unprecedented spatial resolution of few km. Based on the experience from the LATEX campaigns, SeaGoLSWOT will employ an adaptive sampling strategy: (sub)mesoscale structures will be identified through real-time analyses of satellite and in-situ observations, and the sampling strategy of each mapping adjusted/optimized accordingly. Observations from a ship-towed profiler and a bench-top flow cytometer will provide a ground truth of the physics at the km scale within the upper 100 meters and, combined with AirSWOT data, they will provide a unique opportunity for investigating (sub)mesoscale coupling between altimetry anomalies and the vertical physical-biogeochemical dynamics of the ocean.