The alongshore tilt of mean dynamic topography and its implications for model validation and ocean monitoring

Renkl, Christoph; Oliver, Eric C. J.; Thompson, Keith R.

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-181-2025

Articles | Volume 21, issue 1

https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-181-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Special issue:

Oceanography at coastal scales: modelling, coupling, observations,...

https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-181-2025

© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 21, issue 1

Research article

| Highlight paper

|

27 Jan 2025

Research article | Highlight paper |

| 27 Jan 2025

The alongshore tilt of mean dynamic topography and its implications for model validation and ocean monitoring

Christoph Renkl, Eric C. J. Oliver, and Keith R. Thompson

Data sets

Canadian Station Inventory and Data Download Government of Canada https://www.isdm-gdsi.gc.ca/isdm-gdsi/twl-mne/maps-cartes/inventory-inventaire-eng.asp

Stations Government of Canada https://tides.gc.ca/en/stations

Passive Control Networks Government of Canada https://webapp.csrs-scrs.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/geod/data-donnees/passive-passif.php

Marine Data Store CMEMS https://doi.org/10.48670/moi-00021

FES2022 (Finite Element Solution) -- Global tide AVISO https://www.aviso.altimetry.fr/en/data/products/auxiliary-products/global-tide-fes.html

Co-editor-in-chief

It is shown that newly available geodesy combined with suitably located coastal tide gauges is accurate enough for validating model predictions of coastal mean dynamic topography (MDT). Moreover, alongshore differences of MDT can provide estimates of (1) average alongshore current and (2) area-integrated nearshore circulation. Thereby estimates of MDT from geodesy and tide-gauges have value for ocean monitoring.