Articles | Volume 21, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-63-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-63-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Integrating wide-swath altimetry data into Level-4 multi-mission maps
Maxime Ballarotta
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Collecte Localisation Satellites (CLS), Ramonville-Saint-Agne, France
Clément Ubelmann
Datlas, Saint-Martin-d'Hères, France
Valentin Bellemin-Laponnaz
Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA), Grenoble, France
Florian Le Guillou
European Space Agency (ESA), Frascati, Italy
Guillaume Meda
Collecte Localisation Satellites (CLS), Ramonville-Saint-Agne, France
Cécile Anadon
Collecte Localisation Satellites (CLS), Ramonville-Saint-Agne, France
Alice Laloue
Collecte Localisation Satellites (CLS), Ramonville-Saint-Agne, France
Antoine Delepoulle
Collecte Localisation Satellites (CLS), Ramonville-Saint-Agne, France
Yannice Faugère
Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES), Toulouse, France
Marie-Isabelle Pujol
Collecte Localisation Satellites (CLS), Ramonville-Saint-Agne, France
Ronan Fablet
IMT Atlantique, Plouzané, France
Gérald Dibarboure
Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES), Toulouse, France
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Florian Le Guillou, Lucile Gaultier, Maxime Ballarotta, Sammy Metref, Clément Ubelmann, Emmanuel Cosme, and Marie-Helène Rio
Ocean Sci., 19, 1517–1527, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-1517-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-1517-2023, 2023
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Altimetry provides sea surface height (SSH) data along one-dimensional tracks. For many applications, the tracks are interpolated in space and time to provide gridded SSH maps. The operational SSH gridded products filter out the small-scale signals measured on the tracks. This paper evaluates the performances of a recently implemented dynamical method to retrieve the small-scale signals from real SSH data. We show a net improvement in the quality of SSH maps when compared to independent data.
Maxime Ballarotta, Clément Ubelmann, Pierre Veillard, Pierre Prandi, Hélène Etienne, Sandrine Mulet, Yannice Faugère, Gérald Dibarboure, Rosemary Morrow, and Nicolas Picot
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We present a new gridded sea surface height and current dataset produced by combining observations from nadir altimeters and drifting buoys. This product is based on a multiscale and multivariate mapping approach that offers the possibility to improve the physical content of gridded products by combining the data from various platforms and resolving a broader spectrum of ocean surface dynamic than in the current operational mapping system. A quality assessment of this new product is presented.
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Ocean Sci., 18, 469–481, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-18-469-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-18-469-2022, 2022
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The signature of internal tides has become an important component for high-resolution altimetry over oceans. Several studies have proposed some solutions to resolve part of these internal tides based on the altimetry record. Following these studies, we propose here a new inversion approach aimed to mitigate aliasing with other dynamics. After a description of the methodology, the solution for the main tidal components has been successfully validated against independent observations.
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Ocean Sci., 15, 1207–1224, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-15-1207-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-15-1207-2019, 2019
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This paper deals with sea level altimetery products. These geophysical data are distributed as along-track and gridded data through Copernicus programs CMEMS and C3S. We present in detail a new reprocessing of the data (DT2018) from 1993 to 2017. The main changes and their impacts since the last version (DT2014) are carefully discussed. This comparison is made using an independent dataset. DT2018 sea level products are improved at the global and regional scale, especially in coastal areas.
Maxime Ballarotta, Clément Ubelmann, Marie-Isabelle Pujol, Guillaume Taburet, Florent Fournier, Jean-François Legeais, Yannice Faugère, Antoine Delepoulle, Dudley Chelton, Gérald Dibarboure, and Nicolas Picot
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M. Ballarotta, F. Roquet, S. Falahat, Q. Zhang, and G. Madec
Clim. Past Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/cpd-11-3597-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/cpd-11-3597-2015, 2015
Revised manuscript not accepted
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We investigate the impact of the ocean geothermal heating (OGH) on a glacial ocean state using numerical simulations. We found that the OGH is a significant forcing of the abyssal ocean and thermohaline circulation. Applying the OGH warms the Antarctic Bottom Water by ~0.4°C and strengthens the deep circulation by 15% to 30%. The geothermally heated waters are advected from the Indo-Pacific to the North Atlantic basin, indirectly favouring the deep convection in the North Atlantic.
M. Ballarotta, S. Falahat, L. Brodeau, and K. Döös
Ocean Sci., 10, 907–921, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-10-907-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-10-907-2014, 2014
M. Ballarotta, L. Brodeau, J. Brandefelt, P. Lundberg, and K. Döös
Clim. Past, 9, 2669–2686, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-9-2669-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-9-2669-2013, 2013
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Clim. Past Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/cpd-9-297-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/cpd-9-297-2013, 2013
Revised manuscript has not been submitted
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EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1149, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1149, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Ocean Science (OS).
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This study models wind-driven ocean currents using observed wind stress and an empirically estimated impulse response function based on drifting buoys. By convolving this function with wind forcing from ERA5, the estimates align well with independent observations across latitudes. Additionally, the response function serves as a valuable indicator of subsurface properties.
Michaël Ablain, Noémie Lalau, Benoit Meyssignac, Robin Fraudeau, Anne Barnoud, Gérald Dibarboure, Alejandro Egido, and Craig Donlon
Ocean Sci., 21, 343–358, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-343-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-343-2025, 2025
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This study proposes a novel cross-validation method to assess the instrumental stability in sea level trends. The method involves implementing a second tandem flight phase between two successive altimeter missions a few years after the first phase. The trend in systematic instrumental differences made during the two tandem phases can be estimated below ± 0.1 mm yr-1 (16–84 % confidence level) on a global scale for time intervals between the tandem phases of 4 years or more.
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EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-356, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-356, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Ocean Science (OS).
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By providing all weather, global and real time observations of sea level, a key variable to constrain ocean analysis and forecasting systems, satellite altimetry has had a profound impact on the development of operational oceanography. The paper provides an overview of the development and evolution of satellite altimetry and operational oceanography over the past 20 years from the launch of Jason-1 in 2001 to the launch of SWOT in 2022.
Michel Tchilibou, Loren Carrere, Florent Lyard, Clément Ubelmann, Gérald Dibarboure, Edward D. Zaron, and Brian K. Arbic
Ocean Sci., 21, 325–342, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-325-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-325-2025, 2025
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Sea level observations along the swaths of the new SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) mission were used to characterize internal tides at three semidiurnal frequencies off the Amazon shelf in the tropical Atlantic during the SWOT calibration/validation period. The atlases were derived using harmonic analysis and principal component analysis. The SWOT-derived internal tide atlas outperforms the reference atlas previously used to correct SWOT observations.
Gerald Dibarboure, Cécile Anadon, Frédéric Briol, Emeline Cadier, Robin Chevrier, Antoine Delepoulle, Yannice Faugère, Alice Laloue, Rosemary Morrow, Nicolas Picot, Pierre Prandi, Marie-Isabelle Pujol, Matthias Raynal, Anaelle Tréboutte, and Clément Ubelmann
Ocean Sci., 21, 283–323, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-283-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-283-2025, 2025
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The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission delivers unprecedented swath-altimetry products. In this paper, we describe how we extended the Level-3 algorithms to handle SWOT’s unique swath-altimeter data. We also illustrate and discuss the benefits, relevance, and limitations of Level-3 swath-altimeter products for various research domains.
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Ocean Sci., 21, 133–150, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-133-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-133-2025, 2025
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We take advantage of the availability of several algorithms for most of the terms/corrections used to calculate altimetry sea level data to quantify and analyze the sources of uncertainty associated with the approach to the coast. The results highlight their hierarchy. Tidal corrections and mean sea surface height contribute to coastal sea level data uncertainties. Improving the retracking algorithm is today the main factor to bring accurate altimetry sea level data closer to the shore.
Michel Tchilibou, Simon Barbot, Loren Carrere, Ariane Koch-Larrouy, Gérald Dibarboure, and Clément Ubelmann
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This study presents the annual and monthly MIOST (MIOST24) internal tide atlases for the Indo-Philippine archipelago and the region off the Amazon shelf. Derived from 25 years of altimetry data and an updated wavelength database, the atlases reveal significant monthly variability of internal tides in both regions. The new atlas improves the correction of internal tides in altimetry data and outperforms MIOST 2022 and HRET existing atlases, thus supporting the development of a global atlas.
Théo Picard, Chelsey A. Baker, Jonathan Gula, Ronan Fablet, Laurent Mémery, and Richard Lampitt
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3292, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3292, 2024
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Ocean sediment traps measure the sequestrated sinking organic carbon. While sinking, the particles are affected by local currents, which presents a challenge in linking the deep flux with the surface. We present a machine learning tool that predicts the source location of the sinking particles based on satellite data. The predictions demonstrate a stronger correlation between surface and deep carbon fluxes, allowing a more comprehensive understanding of the deep carbon sequestration drivers.
Antonio Sánchez-Román, Flora Gues, Romain Bourdalle-Badie, Marie-Isabelle Pujol, Ananda Pascual, and Marie Drévillon
State Planet, 4-osr8, 4, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-4-osr8-4-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-4-osr8-4-2024, 2024
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This study investigates the changing pattern of the Gulf Stream over the last 3 decades as observed in the altimetric record (1993–2022). Changes in the Gulf Stream path have an effect on its speed (and associated energy) and also on waters transported towards the subpolar North Atlantic, impacting Europe's climate. The observed shifts in the paths seem to be linked to variability in the North Atlantic Ocean during winter that may play an important role.
Alice Laloue, Malek Ghantous, Yannice Faugère, Alice Dalphinet, and Lotfi Aouf
State Planet, 4-osr8, 6, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-4-osr8-6-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-4-osr8-6-2024, 2024
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Satellite altimetry shows that daily mean significant wave heights (SWHs) and extreme SWHs have increased in the Southern Ocean, the South Atlantic, and the southern Indian Ocean over the last 2 decades. In winter in the North Atlantic, SWH has increased north of 45°N and decreased south of 45°N. SWHs likely to be exceeded every 100 years have also increased in the North Atlantic and the eastern tropical Pacific. However, this study also revealed the need for longer and more consistent series.
Karina von Schuckmann, Lorena Moreira, Mathilde Cancet, Flora Gues, Emmanuelle Autret, Jonathan Baker, Clément Bricaud, Romain Bourdalle-Badie, Lluis Castrillo, Lijing Cheng, Frederic Chevallier, Daniele Ciani, Alvaro de Pascual-Collar, Vincenzo De Toma, Marie Drevillon, Claudia Fanelli, Gilles Garric, Marion Gehlen, Rianne Giesen, Kevin Hodges, Doroteaciro Iovino, Simon Jandt-Scheelke, Eric Jansen, Melanie Juza, Ioanna Karagali, Thomas Lavergne, Simona Masina, Ronan McAdam, Audrey Minière, Helen Morrison, Tabea Rebekka Panteleit, Andrea Pisano, Marie-Isabelle Pujol, Ad Stoffelen, Sulian Thual, Simon Van Gennip, Pierre Veillard, Chunxue Yang, and Hao Zuo
State Planet, 4-osr8, 1, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-4-osr8-1-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-4-osr8-1-2024, 2024
Karina von Schuckmann, Lorena Moreira, Mathilde Cancet, Flora Gues, Emmanuelle Autret, Ali Aydogdu, Lluis Castrillo, Daniele Ciani, Andrea Cipollone, Emanuela Clementi, Gianpiero Cossarini, Alvaro de Pascual-Collar, Vincenzo De Toma, Marion Gehlen, Rianne Giesen, Marie Drevillon, Claudia Fanelli, Kevin Hodges, Simon Jandt-Scheelke, Eric Jansen, Melanie Juza, Ioanna Karagali, Priidik Lagemaa, Vidar Lien, Leonardo Lima, Vladyslav Lyubartsev, Ilja Maljutenko, Simona Masina, Ronan McAdam, Pietro Miraglio, Helen Morrison, Tabea Rebekka Panteleit, Andrea Pisano, Marie-Isabelle Pujol, Urmas Raudsepp, Roshin Raj, Ad Stoffelen, Simon Van Gennip, Pierre Veillard, and Chunxue Yang
State Planet, 4-osr8, 2, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-4-osr8-2-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-4-osr8-2-2024, 2024
Théo Picard, Jonathan Gula, Ronan Fablet, Jeremy Collin, and Laurent Mémery
Ocean Sci., 20, 1149–1165, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-1149-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-1149-2024, 2024
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The biological carbon pump plays a key role in the climate system. Plankton absorb and transform CO2 into organic carbon, forming particles that sink to the ocean floor. Sediment traps catch these particles and measure the carbon stored in the abyss. However, the particles' surface origin is unknown as ocean currents alter their paths. Here, we train an AI model to predict the origin of these particles. This new tool enables a better link between deep-ocean observations and satellite images.
Florian Le Guillou, Lucile Gaultier, Maxime Ballarotta, Sammy Metref, Clément Ubelmann, Emmanuel Cosme, and Marie-Helène Rio
Ocean Sci., 19, 1517–1527, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-1517-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-1517-2023, 2023
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Altimetry provides sea surface height (SSH) data along one-dimensional tracks. For many applications, the tracks are interpolated in space and time to provide gridded SSH maps. The operational SSH gridded products filter out the small-scale signals measured on the tracks. This paper evaluates the performances of a recently implemented dynamical method to retrieve the small-scale signals from real SSH data. We show a net improvement in the quality of SSH maps when compared to independent data.
Antonio Sánchez-Román, M. Isabelle Pujol, Yannice Faugère, and Ananda Pascual
Ocean Sci., 19, 793–809, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-793-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-793-2023, 2023
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This paper assesses the performance of the latest version (DT2021) of global gridded altimetry products distributed through the CMEMS and C3S Copernicus programs on the retrieval of sea level in the coastal zone of the European seas with respect to the previous DT2018 version. This comparison is made using an external independent dataset. DT2021 sea level products better solve the signal in the coastal band.
Maxime Beauchamp, Quentin Febvre, Hugo Georgenthum, and Ronan Fablet
Geosci. Model Dev., 16, 2119–2147, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-2119-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-2119-2023, 2023
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4DVarNet is a learning-based method based on traditional data assimilation (DA). This new class of algorithms can be used to provide efficient reconstructions of a dynamical system based on single observations. We provide a 4DVarNet application to sea surface height reconstructions based on nadir and future Surface Water and Ocean and Topography data. It outperforms other methods, from optimal interpolation to sophisticated DA algorithms. This work is part of on-going AI Chair Oceanix projects.
Oscar Vergara, Rosemary Morrow, Marie-Isabelle Pujol, Gérald Dibarboure, and Clément Ubelmann
Ocean Sci., 19, 363–379, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-363-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-363-2023, 2023
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Recent advances allow us to observe the ocean from space with increasingly higher detail, challenging our knowledge of the ocean's surface height signature. We use a statistical approach to determine the spatial scale at which the sea surface height signal is no longer dominated by geostrophic turbulence but in turn becomes dominated by wave-type motions. This information helps us to better use the data provided by ocean-observing satellites and to gain knowledge on climate-driving processes.
Maxime Ballarotta, Clément Ubelmann, Pierre Veillard, Pierre Prandi, Hélène Etienne, Sandrine Mulet, Yannice Faugère, Gérald Dibarboure, Rosemary Morrow, and Nicolas Picot
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 295–315, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-295-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-295-2023, 2023
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We present a new gridded sea surface height and current dataset produced by combining observations from nadir altimeters and drifting buoys. This product is based on a multiscale and multivariate mapping approach that offers the possibility to improve the physical content of gridded products by combining the data from various platforms and resolving a broader spectrum of ocean surface dynamic than in the current operational mapping system. A quality assessment of this new product is presented.
Marie-Isabelle Pujol, Stéphanie Dupuy, Oscar Vergara, Antonio Sánchez-Román, Yannice Faugère, Pierre Prandi, Mei-Ling Dabat, Quentin Dagneaux, Marine Lievin, Emeline Cadier, Gérald Dibarboure, and Nicolas Picot
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2022-292, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2022-292, 2022
Manuscript not accepted for further review
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An altimeter sea level along-track level-3 product with a 5 Hz (~1.2 km) sampling is proposed. It takes advantage of recent advances in radar altimeter processing, and improvements made to different stages of the processing chain. Compared to the conventional 1 Hz (~7 km) product, it significantly improves the observability of the short wavelength signal in open ocean and near coast areas (> 5 km). It also contributes to improving high resolution numerical model outputs via data assimilation.
Etienne Pauthenet, Loïc Bachelot, Kevin Balem, Guillaume Maze, Anne-Marie Tréguier, Fabien Roquet, Ronan Fablet, and Pierre Tandeo
Ocean Sci., 18, 1221–1244, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-18-1221-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-18-1221-2022, 2022
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Temperature and salinity profiles are essential for studying the ocean’s stratification, but there are not enough of these data. Satellites are able to measure daily maps of the surface ocean. We train a machine to learn the link between the satellite data and the profiles in the Gulf Stream region. We can then use this link to predict profiles at the high resolution of the satellite maps. Our prediction is fast to compute and allows us to get profiles at any locations only from surface data.
Mounir Benkiran, Pierre-Yves Le Traon, and Gérald Dibarboure
Ocean Sci., 18, 609–625, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-18-609-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-18-609-2022, 2022
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The SSH analysis and 7 d forecast error will be globally reduced by almost 50 %. Surface current forecast errors should be equivalent to today’s surface current analysis errors or alternatively will be improved (variance error reduction) by 30 % at the surface and 50 % for 300 m depth.
The resolution capabilities will be drastically improved and will be closer to 100 km wavelength as opposed to today where they are above 250 km (on average).
Clément Ubelmann, Loren Carrere, Chloé Durand, Gérald Dibarboure, Yannice Faugère, Maxime Ballarotta, Frédéric Briol, and Florent Lyard
Ocean Sci., 18, 469–481, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-18-469-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-18-469-2022, 2022
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The signature of internal tides has become an important component for high-resolution altimetry over oceans. Several studies have proposed some solutions to resolve part of these internal tides based on the altimetry record. Following these studies, we propose here a new inversion approach aimed to mitigate aliasing with other dynamics. After a description of the methodology, the solution for the main tidal components has been successfully validated against independent observations.
Cori Pegliasco, Antoine Delepoulle, Evan Mason, Rosemary Morrow, Yannice Faugère, and Gérald Dibarboure
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 1087–1107, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1087-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1087-2022, 2022
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The new global Mesoscale Eddy Trajectory Atlases (META3.1exp) provide eddy identification and trajectories from altimetry maps. These atlases comprise an improvement to and continuation of the historical META2.0 product. Changes in the detection parameters and tracking were tested by comparing the eddies from the different datasets. In particular, the eddy contours available in META3.1exp are an asset for multi-disciplinary studies.
Pierre Prandi, Jean-Christophe Poisson, Yannice Faugère, Amandine Guillot, and Gérald Dibarboure
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 5469–5482, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-5469-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-5469-2021, 2021
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We investigate how mapping sea level in the Arctic Ocean can benefit from combining data from three satellite radar altimeters: CryoSat-2, Sentinel-3A and SARAL/AltiKa. A dedicated processing for SARAL/AltiKa provides a baseline for the cross-referencing of CryoSat-2 and Sentinel-3A before mapping. We show that by combining measurements coming from three missions, we are able to increase the resolution of gridded sea level fields in the ice-covered Arctic Ocean.
Sandrine Mulet, Marie-Hélène Rio, Hélène Etienne, Camilia Artana, Mathilde Cancet, Gérald Dibarboure, Hui Feng, Romain Husson, Nicolas Picot, Christine Provost, and P. Ted Strub
Ocean Sci., 17, 789–808, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-17-789-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-17-789-2021, 2021
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Satellite altimetry has revolutionized ocean observation by allowing the sea level to be monitored with very good spatiotemporal coverage. However, only the sea level anomalies are retrieved; to monitor the whole oceanic signal a temporal mean (called mean dynamic topography, MDT) must be added to these anomalies. In this study we present the newly updated CNES-CLS18 MDT. An evaluation of this new solution shows significant improvements in both strong currents and coastal areas.
R. Fablet, M. M. Amar, Q. Febvre, M. Beauchamp, and B. Chapron
ISPRS Ann. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci., V-3-2021, 295–302, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-annals-V-3-2021-295-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprs-annals-V-3-2021-295-2021, 2021
Loren Carrere, Brian K. Arbic, Brian Dushaw, Gary Egbert, Svetlana Erofeeva, Florent Lyard, Richard D. Ray, Clément Ubelmann, Edward Zaron, Zhongxiang Zhao, Jay F. Shriver, Maarten Cornelis Buijsman, and Nicolas Picot
Ocean Sci., 17, 147–180, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-17-147-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-17-147-2021, 2021
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Internal tides can have a signature of several centimeters at the ocean surface and need to be corrected from altimeter measurements. We present a detailed validation of several internal-tide models using existing satellite altimeter databases. The analysis focuses on the main diurnal and semidiurnal tidal constituents. Results show the interest of the methodology proposed, the quality of the internal-tide models tested and their positive contribution for estimating an accurate sea level.
Olivier Pannekoucke and Ronan Fablet
Geosci. Model Dev., 13, 3373–3382, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-3373-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-13-3373-2020, 2020
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Learning physics from data using a deep neural network is a challenge that requires an appropriate but unknown network architecture. The package introduced here helps to design an architecture by translating known physical equations into a network, which the experimenter completes to capture unknown physical processes. A test bed is introduced to illustrate how this learning allows us to focus on truly unknown physical processes in the hope of making better use of data and digital resources.
Guillaume Taburet, Antonio Sanchez-Roman, Maxime Ballarotta, Marie-Isabelle Pujol, Jean-François Legeais, Florent Fournier, Yannice Faugere, and Gerald Dibarboure
Ocean Sci., 15, 1207–1224, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-15-1207-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-15-1207-2019, 2019
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This paper deals with sea level altimetery products. These geophysical data are distributed as along-track and gridded data through Copernicus programs CMEMS and C3S. We present in detail a new reprocessing of the data (DT2018) from 1993 to 2017. The main changes and their impacts since the last version (DT2014) are carefully discussed. This comparison is made using an independent dataset. DT2018 sea level products are improved at the global and regional scale, especially in coastal areas.
Maxime Ballarotta, Clément Ubelmann, Marie-Isabelle Pujol, Guillaume Taburet, Florent Fournier, Jean-François Legeais, Yannice Faugère, Antoine Delepoulle, Dudley Chelton, Gérald Dibarboure, and Nicolas Picot
Ocean Sci., 15, 1091–1109, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-15-1091-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-15-1091-2019, 2019
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This study investigates the resolving capabilities of the DUACS gridded products delivered through the CMEMS catalogue. Our method is based on the noise-to-signal ratio approach. While altimeter along-track data resolve scales on the order of a few tens of kilometers, we found that the merging of these along-track data into continuous maps in time and space leads to effective resolution ranging from ~ 800 km wavelength at the Equator to 100 km wavelength at high latitude.
Fabrice Ardhuin, Yevgueny Aksenov, Alvise Benetazzo, Laurent Bertino, Peter Brandt, Eric Caubet, Bertrand Chapron, Fabrice Collard, Sophie Cravatte, Jean-Marc Delouis, Frederic Dias, Gérald Dibarboure, Lucile Gaultier, Johnny Johannessen, Anton Korosov, Georgy Manucharyan, Dimitris Menemenlis, Melisa Menendez, Goulven Monnier, Alexis Mouche, Frédéric Nouguier, George Nurser, Pierre Rampal, Ad Reniers, Ernesto Rodriguez, Justin Stopa, Céline Tison, Clément Ubelmann, Erik van Sebille, and Jiping Xie
Ocean Sci., 14, 337–354, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-14-337-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-14-337-2018, 2018
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The Sea surface KInematics Multiscale (SKIM) monitoring mission is a proposal for a future satellite that is designed to measure ocean currents and waves. Using a Doppler radar, the accurate measurement of currents requires the removal of the mean velocity due to ocean wave motions. This paper describes the main processing steps needed to produce currents and wave data from the radar measurements. With this technique, SKIM can provide unprecedented coverage and resolution, over the global ocean.
Marie-Isabelle Pujol, Yannice Faugère, Guillaume Taburet, Stéphanie Dupuy, Camille Pelloquin, Michael Ablain, and Nicolas Picot
Ocean Sci., 12, 1067–1090, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-12-1067-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-12-1067-2016, 2016
F. d'Ovidio, A. Della Penna, T. W. Trull, F. Nencioli, M.-I. Pujol, M.-H. Rio, Y.-H. Park, C. Cotté, M. Zhou, and S. Blain
Biogeosciences, 12, 5567–5581, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-5567-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-5567-2015, 2015
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Field campaigns are instrumental in providing ground truth for understanding and modeling global ocean biogeochemical budgets. A survey however can only inspect a fraction of the global oceans, typically a region hundreds of kilometers wide for a temporal window of the order of (at most) several weeks. In this spatiotemporal domain, mesoscale variability can mask climatological contrasts. Here we propose the use of multisatellite-based Lagrangian diagnostics to solve this issue.
M. Ballarotta, F. Roquet, S. Falahat, Q. Zhang, and G. Madec
Clim. Past Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/cpd-11-3597-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/cpd-11-3597-2015, 2015
Revised manuscript not accepted
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We investigate the impact of the ocean geothermal heating (OGH) on a glacial ocean state using numerical simulations. We found that the OGH is a significant forcing of the abyssal ocean and thermohaline circulation. Applying the OGH warms the Antarctic Bottom Water by ~0.4°C and strengthens the deep circulation by 15% to 30%. The geothermally heated waters are advected from the Indo-Pacific to the North Atlantic basin, indirectly favouring the deep convection in the North Atlantic.
M. Ballarotta, S. Falahat, L. Brodeau, and K. Döös
Ocean Sci., 10, 907–921, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-10-907-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-10-907-2014, 2014
M. Ballarotta, L. Brodeau, J. Brandefelt, P. Lundberg, and K. Döös
Clim. Past, 9, 2669–2686, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-9-2669-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-9-2669-2013, 2013
M. Ballarotta, L. Brodeau, J. Brandefelt, P. Lundberg, and K. Döös
Clim. Past Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/cpd-9-297-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/cpd-9-297-2013, 2013
Revised manuscript has not been submitted
Related subject area
Approach: Remote Sensing | Properties and processes: Mesoscale to submesoscale dynamics
Blending 2D topography images from the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission into the altimeter constellation with the Level-3 multi-mission Data Unification and Altimeter Combination System (DUACS)
Estimating ocean currents from the joint reconstruction of absolute dynamic topography and sea surface temperature through deep learning algorithms
Monitoring the coastal–offshore water interactions in the Levantine Sea using ocean color and deep supervised learning
Multiple timescale variations in fronts in the Seto Inland Sea, Japan
MAESSTRO: Masked Autoencoders for Sea Surface Temperature Reconstruction under Occlusion
Advances in Surface Water and Ocean Topography for Fine-Scale Eddy Identification from Altimeter Sea Surface Height Merging Maps
Enhanced resolution capability of SWOT sea surface height measurements and its application in monitoring ocean dynamics variability
Deep learning for the super resolution of Mediterranean sea surface temperature fields
Generation of super-resolution gap-free ocean colour satellite products using DINEOF
Impact of surface and subsurface-intensified eddies on sea surface temperature and chlorophyll a in the northern Indian Ocean utilizing deep learning
Regional mapping of energetic short mesoscale ocean dynamics from altimetry: performances from real observations
Ocean 2D eddy energy fluxes from small mesoscale processes with SWOT
Gerald Dibarboure, Cécile Anadon, Frédéric Briol, Emeline Cadier, Robin Chevrier, Antoine Delepoulle, Yannice Faugère, Alice Laloue, Rosemary Morrow, Nicolas Picot, Pierre Prandi, Marie-Isabelle Pujol, Matthias Raynal, Anaelle Tréboutte, and Clément Ubelmann
Ocean Sci., 21, 283–323, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-283-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-283-2025, 2025
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The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission delivers unprecedented swath-altimetry products. In this paper, we describe how we extended the Level-3 algorithms to handle SWOT’s unique swath-altimeter data. We also illustrate and discuss the benefits, relevance, and limitations of Level-3 swath-altimeter products for various research domains.
Daniele Ciani, Claudia Fanelli, and Bruno Buongiorno Nardelli
Ocean Sci., 21, 199–216, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-199-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-21-199-2025, 2025
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Ocean surface currents are routinely derived from satellite observations of the sea level, allowing regional- to global-scale synoptic monitoring. In order to overcome the theoretical and instrumental limits of this methodology, we exploit the synergy of multi-sensor satellite observations. We rely on deep learning, physics-informed algorithms to predict ocean currents from sea surface height and sea surface temperature observations. Results are validated by means of in situ measurements.
Georges Baaklini, Julien Brajard, Leila Issa, Gina Fifani, Laurent Mortier, and Roy El Hourany
Ocean Sci., 20, 1707–1720, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-1707-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-1707-2024, 2024
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Understanding the flow of the Levantine Sea surface current is not straightforward. We propose a study based on learning techniques to follow interactions between water near the shore and further out at sea. Our results show changes in the coastal currents past 33.8° E, with frequent instances of water breaking away along the Lebanese coast. These events happen quickly and sometimes lead to long-lasting eddies. This study underscores the need for direct observations to improve our knowledge.
Menghong Dong and Xinyu Guo
Ocean Sci., 20, 1527–1546, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-1527-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-1527-2024, 2024
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We employed a gradient-based algorithm to identify the position and intensity of the fronts in a coastal sea using sea surface temperature data, thereby quantifying their variations. Our study provides a comprehensive analysis of these fronts, elucidating their seasonal variability, intra-tidal dynamics, and the influence of winds on the fronts. By capturing the temporal and spatial dynamics of these fronts, our understanding of the complex oceanographic processes within this region is enhanced.
Edwin Goh, Alice Yepremyan, Jinbo Wang, and Brian Wilson
Ocean Sci., 20, 1309–1323, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-1309-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-1309-2024, 2024
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An AI model was used to fill in missing parts of sea temperature (SST) maps caused by cloud cover. We found masked autoencoders can recreate missing SSTs with less than 0.2 °C error, even when 80 % are missing. This is 5000 times faster than conventional methods tested on a single central processing unit. This can enhance our ability in monitoring global small-scale ocean fronts that affect heat, carbon, and nutrient exchange in the ocean. The method is promising for future research.
Xiaoya Zhang, Lei Liu, Jianfang Fei, Zhijin Li, Zexun Wei, Zhiwei Zhang, Xingliang Jiang, Zexin Dong, and Feng Xu
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2773, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2773, 2024
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Our research evaluated the precision of mapping the ocean's surface with combined data from a couple of satellites, focusing on dynamic aspects revealed by sea level changes. Results show that 2DVAR, a new mapping product, aligns more closely and with less error with the most advanced satellite detailed observations than a widely used mapping product called AVISO. The results suggest that 2DVAR better detects minor ocean movements, making it more valuable and reliable for ocean dynamics study.
Yong Wang, Shengjun Zhang, and Yongjun Jia
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3005, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3005, 2024
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The present study explores the capabilities of four satellite missions in assessing the true resolution of the sea surface. A new weighted averaging method is introduced in the analysis of global sea surface height slope maps. The results show that SWOT significantly improves the accuracy and mesoscale resolution capability. Using the correlation method of mutual power spectra, we define a new parameter, ocean dynamics scale variability, and apply this parameter to the global ocean.
Claudia Fanelli, Daniele Ciani, Andrea Pisano, and Bruno Buongiorno Nardelli
Ocean Sci., 20, 1035–1050, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-1035-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-20-1035-2024, 2024
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Sea surface temperature (SST) is an essential variable to understanding the Earth's climate system, and its accurate monitoring from space is essential. Since satellite measurements are hindered by cloudy/rainy conditions, data gaps are present even in merged multi-sensor products. Since optimal interpolation techniques tend to smooth out small-scale features, we developed a deep learning model to enhance the effective resolution of gap-free SST images over the Mediterranean Sea to address this.
Aida Alvera-Azcárate, Dimitry Van der Zande, Alexander Barth, Antoine Dille, Joppe Massant, and Jean-Marie Beckers
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1268, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1268, 2024
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This work presents an approach to increase the spatial resolution of satellite data and interpolate gaps dur to cloud cover, using a method called DINEOF (Data Interpolating Empirical Orthogonal Functions). The method is tested on turbidity and chlorophyll-a concentration data in the Belgian coastal zone and the North Sea. The results show that we are able to improve the spatial resolution of these data in order to perform analysis of spatial and temporal variability in the coastal regions.
Yingjie Liu and Xiaofeng Li
Ocean Sci., 19, 1579–1593, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-1579-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-1579-2023, 2023
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The study developed a deep learning model that effectively distinguishes between surface- and subsurface-intensified eddies in the northern Indian Ocean by integrating sea surface height and temperature data. The accurate distinction between these types of eddies provides valuable insights into their dynamics and their impact on marine ecosystems in the northern Indian Ocean and contributes to understanding the complex interactions between eddy dynamics and biogeochemical processes in the ocean.
Florian Le Guillou, Lucile Gaultier, Maxime Ballarotta, Sammy Metref, Clément Ubelmann, Emmanuel Cosme, and Marie-Helène Rio
Ocean Sci., 19, 1517–1527, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-1517-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-1517-2023, 2023
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Altimetry provides sea surface height (SSH) data along one-dimensional tracks. For many applications, the tracks are interpolated in space and time to provide gridded SSH maps. The operational SSH gridded products filter out the small-scale signals measured on the tracks. This paper evaluates the performances of a recently implemented dynamical method to retrieve the small-scale signals from real SSH data. We show a net improvement in the quality of SSH maps when compared to independent data.
Elisa Carli, Rosemary Morrow, Oscar Vergara, Robin Chevrier, and Lionel Renault
Ocean Sci., 19, 1413–1435, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-1413-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-1413-2023, 2023
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Oceanic eddies are the structures carrying most of the energy in our oceans. They are key to climate regulation and nutrient transport. We prepare for the Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission, studying eddy dynamics in the region south of Africa, where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet, using models and simulated satellite data. SWOT will provide insights into the structures smaller than what is currently observable, which appear to greatly contribute to eddy kinetic energy and strain.
Cited articles
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Archer, M. R., Li, Z., Wang, J., and Fu, L.: Reconstructing fine-scale ocean variability via data assimilation of the SWOT pre-launch in situ observing system, J. Geophys. Res.-Oceans, 127, e2021JC017362, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JC017362, 2022.
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AVISO/DUACS: SALTO/DUACS Mutlimission Experimental Level-4 maps, computed with SWOT Level-3 products (using both KaRIn and nadir instruments) (v1.0), CNES [data set], https://doi.org/10.24400/527896/a01-2004.007, 2024b.
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Ballarotta, M., Ubelmann, C., Pujol, M.-I., Taburet, G., Fournier, F., Legeais, J.-F., Faugère, Y., Delepoulle, A., Chelton, D., Dibarboure, G., and Picot, N.: On the resolutions of ocean altimetry maps, Ocean Sci., 15, 1091–1109, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-15-1091-2019, 2019.
Ballarotta, M., Ubelmann, C., Rogé, M., Fournier, F., Faugère, Y., Dibarboure, G., Morrow, R., and Picot, N: Dynamic Mapping of Along-Track Ocean Altimetry: Performance from Real Observations, J. Atmos. Ocean. Tech., 37, 1593–1601, https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-20-0030.1, 2020a.
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Ballarotta, M., Ubelmann, C., Veillard, P., Prandi, P., Etienne, H., Mulet, S., Faugère, Y., Dibarboure, G., Morrow, R., and Picot, N.: Improved global sea surface height and current maps from remote sensing and in situ observations, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 295–315, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-295-2023, 2023.
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Beckley, B. D., Zelensky, N. P., Holmes, S. A., Lemoine, F. G., Ray, R. D., Mitchum, G. T., Desai, S., and Brown, S. T.: Assessment of the Jason-2 Extension to the TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1 Sea-Surface Height Time Series for Global Mean Sea Level Monitoring, Mar. Geod., 33, 447–471, https://doi.org/10.1080/01490419.2010.491029, 2010.
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Dufau, C., Orsztynowicz, M., Dibarboure, G., Morrow, R., and Le Traon, P.-Y.: Mesoscale resolution capability of altimetry: present and future, J. Geophys. Res.-Oceans, 121, 4910–4927, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JC010904, 2016.
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Fablet, R., Beauchamp, M., Drumetz, L., and Rousseau, F.: Joint Interpolation and Representation Learning for Irregularly Sampled Satellite-Derived Geophysical Fields, Front. Appl. Math. Stat., 7, 655224, https://doi.org/10.3389/fams.2021.655224, 2021.
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Gaultier, L., Ubelmann, C., and Fu, L.-L.: The challenge of using future SWOT data for oceanic field reconstruction, J. Atmos. Ocean. Tech., 33, 119–126, https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-15-0160.1, 2016.
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Co-editor-in-chief
The paper demonstrates how oceanographic parameters, like Sea Level Anomaly, surface currents and vorticity, from remote sensing are improved when SWOT (Surface Water Ocean Topography) data are included.
The paper demonstrates how oceanographic parameters, like Sea Level Anomaly, surface currents...
Short summary
The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission provides unprecedented swath altimetry data. This study examines SWOT's impact on mapping systems, showing a moderate effect with the current nadir altimetry constellation and a stronger impact with a reduced one. Integrating SWOT with dynamic mapping techniques improves the resolution of satellite-derived products, offering promising solutions for studying and monitoring sea-level variability at finer scales.
The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission provides unprecedented swath altimetry...