Articles | Volume 14, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-14-1283-2018
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-14-1283-2018
Research article
 | 
24 Oct 2018
Research article |  | 24 Oct 2018

Spectral signatures of the tropical Pacific dynamics from model and altimetry: a focus on the meso-/submesoscale range

Michel Tchilibou, Lionel Gourdeau, Rosemary Morrow, Guillaume Serazin, Bughsin Djath, and Florent Lyard

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Cited articles

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Short summary
This paper is motivated by the next SWOT altimetric mission dedicated to the observation of mesoscale and submesoscale oceanic features. It focuses on tropical areas with a strong discrepancy in the spectral signature between altimetry and models. The paper reviews the spectral signature of tropical turbulence which presents a rich variety of phenomena depending on the latitudinal dependence of the Coriolis force. Internal tides observed by altimetry explain the discrepancy with the model.