Dynamics of the Black Sea Upper Layer Based on Satellite Data: Gridded Altimetry versus High Resolution IR Images

Abstract

Purpose. During more than 20 years, very detailed notions of the sea level variability in the World Ocean and its particular parts have been obtained based on satellite altimetry observations. Their advantage consists in possibility of a fairly rapid assessment of the surface currents’ velocities at meso scales. The alternative method for studying surface dynamics is motion estimation using a sequence of visible/infrared (IR) satellite images of the sea surface. The purpose of the present study is to compare the results obtaineds from application of two described methods used to analyze general circulation of the Black Sea surface layer. Methods and Results. The structure of the current fields in the northwestern Black Sea in winter, 1999 is investigated using the results of analysis of the IR image sequence from the NOAA/AVHRR sensors, as well as the gridded sea level anomaly (SLA) data (processing level L4) and the along-track measurements (level processing L3) from the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service. The surface currents’ velocities are estimated based on the sea level field, which is calculated using two versions of mean dynamic topography. To compare the gridded altimetry and the results of the image sequence processing, a simple procedure is proposed for reconstructing the sea level using the current velocities’ components. The results of reconstructing the surface circulation features by two methods were compared and demonstrated, in particular, the anticyclonic eddy locations in the northwestern part of the Black Sea. It is noted that the locations of the eddy center in the sea level fields reconstructed from the altimetry data and by processing of the IR image sequence are different. Evolution of the eddy is investigated using the SLA data. It is shown that its motion is rather intermittent in time that can be a result of applying the procedure of optimal interpolation. Conclusions. It is noted that the gridded satellite altimetry product from the CMEMS, being applied to the Black Sea basin, should be used with due regard for the provided information on the mapping errors.