CoAuthors

Renato Castelao (University of Georgia, United States)

Near-surface coastal geostrophic velocity variability is investigated in the South Atlantic Bight (SAB) using altimetry between 2002 and 2013. Over the wide continental shelf at the SAB, along-track sea surface anomaly observations are reliable offshore of 20-25 km from the coast. Across-track surface geostrophic velocity anomalies are derived from the along-track sea surface anomaly processed by Radar Altimeter Database System (RADS). The altimeter-derived velocity anomalies are compared with available long-term in-situ observations in the same region: the near surface current from moored ADCPs at several NDBC stations and the surface current from land-based high frequency (HF) radar. Preliminary results show good agreement between estimated and observed surface velocities. The seasonal and interannual variability of altimeter-derived velocities are used to study dominant forcing mechanisms in the South Atlantic Bight region.