2.1
South China Sea Surface Elevation Variability Determined from TOPEX/POSEIDON Data
Peter C. Chu, NPS, Monterey, CA; and J. Wang and Y. Qi
A global daily altimetry data set was recently established at the Naval Research Laboratory on the base of Geosat Follow-On, TOPEX/Poseidon, and ERS-2 data. After quality control such as tidal and orbit error removal, referencing to a consistent mean, it provides a global sea surface height (SSH) data with high temporal and spatial resolutions. We identify the first baroclinic Rossby waves with a phase speed around 3-5 cm/s in the northern South China Sea using 1994-2001 daily SSH data. We also find that there is no evident Rossby wave signal in the southern South China Sea.
Session 2, Advances in Ocean Observing
Monday, 14 January 2002, 11:00 AM-12:00 PM
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