Oceanography Science Questions

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Oceanography Science Questions Lee-Lueng Fu Jet
Propulsion Laboratory WATER HM Science Working
Group Meeting Washington DC October 29-30, 2007
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1. What is the small-scale variability of ocean
   surface topography that determines the velocity
   of ocean currents? How are fronts and eddies
   formed and evolving? How is oceanic kinetic
   energy dissipated?

Ocean Surface Currents Simulated by the ECCO-2
Model
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Sea Surface Height Spectrum from TOPEX/Poseidon
(100 km)
R. Ferrari
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Sub-mesoscale variability
Radius of deformation
Radius of deformation
100km
Sub-mesoscale processes are poorly observed but
important to the understanding of the dissipation
mechanism of ocean circulation.
McWilliams (2006)
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Coastal currents have scales less than 10 km
(2) What is the synoptic variability of coastal
currents? How do the coastal currents interact
with the open ocean variability? What are the
effects of coastal currents on marine life,
ecosystems, waste disposal, and transportation?
? h 5 cm ? v 50 cm/sec
lt 10 km
41.9º N
Observations made by ADCP offshore from the US
West Coast
T. Strub
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(3) How does a hurricane interact with the
small-scale variability of the upper ocean heat
storage? What is the ocean's dynamic response to
hurricanes?  How is the new knowledge to be used
to improve hurricane forecast?
Prediction of Hurricane Intensity
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Oceanic Processes Resolved by Various Missions
WATER HM
TOPEX/Poseidon Jason, or OSTM
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Besides the intrinsic science of internal tides,
they introduce 2-5 cm/sec error in ocean current
velocity.
R. Ray/GSFC