Abstract
We review the measurement of the mean dynamic topography (MDT) of the Mediterranean using ellipsoidal heights of sea level at discrete tide gauge locations, and across the entire basin using satellite altimetry, subtracting estimates of the geoid obtained from recent models. This ‘geodetic approach’ to the determination of the MDT can be compared to the independent ‘ocean approach’ that involves the use of in situ oceanographic measurements and ocean modelling. We demonstrate that with modern geoid and ocean models there is an encouraging level of consistency between the two sets of MDTs. In addition, we show how important geodetic MDT information can be in judging between existing global ocean circulation models, and in providing insight for the development of new ones. The review makes clear the major limitations in Mediterranean data sets that prevent a more complete validation, including the need for improved geoid models of high spatial resolution and accuracy. Suggestions are made on how a greater amount of reliable geo-located tide gauge information can be obtained in the future.
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Acknowledgments
We thank the tide gauge and GPS specialists listed in Table 2 for their help in obtaining GPS survey information. MSL data were obtained from the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level, while some of the GPS data we have used were obtained via the SONEL data assembly centre at the University of La Rochelle. MSL and GPS data are only available thanks to the institutions which contribute their data freely for research. The altimeter products were produced by Ssalto/Duacs and the CLS Space Oceanography Division, made available through AVISO, and by the Technical University of Denmark. We are also grateful to Thomas Gruber (Technical University of Munich) for the geoid models. We thank Marie-Hélène Rio (CLS, France), Luciana Fenoglio-Marc (University of Darmstadt) and Ole Andersen (Technical University of Denmark) for discussions on these topics. This work was funded partly by the European Space Agency and the UK Natural Environment Research Council. M. Marcos acknowledges a “Ramon y Cajal” contract funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy.
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Woodworth, P.L., Gravelle, M., Marcos, M. et al. The status of measurement of the Mediterranean mean dynamic topography by geodetic techniques. J Geod 89, 811–827 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-015-0817-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-015-0817-1