Abstract:

Submesoscale turbulence plays a crucial role in the upper ocean by transporting heat and tracers between the surface and interior ocean. Previous measurements using nadir altimetry have limitations in resolving these small-scale features. The SWOT wide-swath altimetry mission provides high-resolution, two-dimensional maps that capture these dynamics in unprecedented detail. By estimating sea surface height variance spectra slope and differentiating between balanced and unbalanced motions, this study provides the first look at the SWOT data.