On the Spatial Variability of the Sea Surface Height Wavenumber Spectra
in the Atlantic Ocean
Abstract
The wavenumber spectral slope of sea surface height (SSH) computed
within the mesoscale range from satellite altimetry exhibits a large
spatial variability which, until now, has not been reproduced in
numerical ocean models. This study documents the impacts of including
internal tides, high-resolution bathymetry, and high-frequency
atmospheric variability on the SSH wavenumber spectra in the Atlantic
Ocean, using a series of 1/50° Equatorial and North Atlantic simulations
with a realistic representation of barotropic/baroclinic tides and
mesoscale-to-submesoscale variability. The results show that the
inclusion of internal tides does increase high frequency SSH variability
(with clear peaks near 120 km and 70 km) and flattens the spectra slope
in the mesoscale range in a good agreement with observations. The
surface signature of internal tides, mostly in the equatorial Atlantic
but also in subtropical regions in the eastern North Atlantic, is the
primary reason behind the observed large spatial variability of the
spectral slope in the Atlantic. Internal tides are stronger in the
tropical regions when compared to higher latitudes because of the
stronger barotropic tides and stronger stratification in the upper layer
of the water column. High-resolution bathymetry does play an important
role in the internal tide generation on a local scale, but its impact on
large-scale SSH variability and SSH wavenumber spectra is quite small.
High-frequency wind variability plays only a minor role on the
generation of high-frequency SSH variability.