Studying ocean kinetic energy through a combination of novel SWOT altimeter data and regional in situ observations

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Florian Schütte; Professor Dr. Detlef Stammer
• Subject Area: Oceanography
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 554620621

This project will investigate the potential of the new SWOT data to enhance our understanding of variability and currents in small-scale open ocean dynamics. The comparison with in situ data in the eastern tropical Atlantic will clarify how accurately SWOT can capture small-scale dynamics and the limits of this capability. Furthermore, through a global analysis of the SWOT data, we aim to expand our knowledge of spectral descriptions towards smaller wavenumbers and examine the compatibility of this new information with existing theories. Ultimately, we seek to determine the extent to which SWOT data can help constrain ocean circulation models through assimilation (of both SWOT and in situ data), thereby bringing us closer to achieving a digital twin of an ocean region.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Peter Brandt