CoAuthors

Joanna Staneva (Helmholtz Centre Geesthacht (HZG), Geesthacht , Germany); Volker Mohrholz (Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde, Germany); Johannes Kastersen (Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany); Hermann Bange (Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany); Jacob Benjamin (Helmholtz Centre Geesthacht (HZG), Geesthacht , Germany); Kusche Jürgen (University of Bonn, Germany)

Sub-mesoscale features in the North Sea-Baltic Sea transition zone correspond to upwelling events and water transport. The transport is mainly driven by sea level differences and the flow by barotropic pressure gradient. The Gotland basin in the central Baltic basin is dominated by the Gotland gyro with mean cyclonic basin scale circulation of radius 25-35 km.
We analyse the pre-SWOT status with concurrent SAR altimetry, ocean models, gridded altimeter products for SLA and MDT and SWOT simulations performed with the JPL Ocean Simulator. We also compare to in situ permanent stations records and previous campaign data. At these small scales, ocean dynamics evolve rapidly and the combination of altimetric SSH with other satellite or in situ data of different space-time coverage is a challenge.
This study is part of the « Adopt-a-crossover » initiative, in preparation to the SWOT Ocean Fast-sampling phase. In situ campaign experiments are planned. The in-situ data will contribute to initial validation of SWOT, and are expected to provide an intercomparison of physical and bio-physical fine-scale ocean processes.