SSH data: Anomalies and the mean field
Time Period
6 years Topex Poseiden altimeter October 1992 through December 1998
Region
Data Processing
Raw T/P data are adjusted for various environmental corrections
(such as tides, inverse barometer effect) according to
the GDR users handbook (Callahan 1993).
SSH are interpolated to common latitude grid with a one-per-second
sample rate (about 5.6 km along a track).
The along-track residual SSH profiles are calculated by subtracting
from each heigh profile the temporarally averaged profile
(namely the geeoid plus the six-year mean SSH)
A low-pass filter which has half power point at 5 km, is applied to
the residual SSH profiles in order to suppress small-scale
instrumental noises.
Reconstruction of the mean SSH field
A kinematic jet model which fits the altimetric SSH data to a shape
function representing the eastward-flowing surface jet (Kelly and Gille
1990; Qiu et al. 1991) and the extended model of Qiu (1995) are used
to reconstruct the mean SSH field
in the eastward Kuroshio Extension jet and westward recirculating
flows.
The net surface transport of the Kuroshio Extension system
is constrained by the climatological surface dynamic-height
field of Levitus (1982).
