A potential use of satellite derived upper ocean heat content for studying climate variability: an example for the South Atlantic

• Main Authors: Wilton Zumpichiatti Arruda, Carlos Aless, Re Domingos Lentini, Edmo José, Dias Campos
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Key-words; altimeter data; SHA; South Atlantic Ocean; heat content; anomalies; South Atlantic Thermocline Waters; upper layer thickness; two-layer model. Palavras-chave; altímetro; Oceano Atlântico Sul; conteúdo de calor; anomalias; Água de Termoclina do Atlântico Sul; espessura da camada superior; modelo de duas camadas
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.543.9129; http://marte.dpi.inpe.br/col/ltid.inpe.br/sbsr/2004/11.19.16.28/doc/3619.pdf

Abstract. The lack of continuous long-term hydrographic observations, especially in the South Atlantic Ocean, makes satellite-derived data an extremely useful tool to investigate time and spatial variability on a basin scale. Altimeter data, which is not affected by cloud coverage as infrared-derived data, provides extremely useful information on the vertical thermal and dynamical structure of the upper ocean when combined with climatological hydrographic through a diagnostic model. We present a semi-dynamic model that combines sea surface height anomalies from TOPEX/POSEIDON, infrared satellite-derived sea surface temperature, and World Ocean Atlas 2001 hydrographic data to generate maps of the Upper Ocean Heat Content Anomaly which is suitable for climate variability studies.