Comparison of in situ bottom pressure data with GRACE gravimetry in the Crozet-Kerguelen region

• Published in: Geophysical Research Letters
• Main Authors: Rietbroek, R., Legrand, P., Wouters, B., Lemoine, J.-M., Ramillien, G., Hughes, C. W.
• Other Authors: Laboratoire d'études en Géophysique et océanographie spatiales (LEGOS), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2006
• Subjects: [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]; Kerguelen; Kerguelen Islands; Crozet Islands
• Online Access: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00280252; https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00280252/document; https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00280252/file/2006GL027452.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1029/2006GL027452

International audience Two time series of deep ocean bottom pressure records (BPRs) in between the Crozet Islands and Kerguelen are compared with GRACE (Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment) equivalent water heights. An analysis of the correlation is performed for four time series: 1) monthly averages of the equivalent water height at the Crozet Islands, 2) the same near the Kerguelen Islands, 3) the mean of the two preceding series and 4) the difference between the two locations expressed in terms of geostrophic transport. We find that smoothed GRACE solutions are strongly correlated with the BPR data with correlation coefficients in the order of 0.7-0.8. Consequently GRACE measures real oceanic mass variations in this region.