Definition
Geodesy and Oceanography are linked through the dynamic topography of the oceans. Variations in temperature and salinity within the oceans cause together with forces acting on the oceans such as winds, the ocean surface to deviate from the geoid, i.e., the equipotential surface of the Earth’s gravity field. The slope of the dynamic topography combined with the Coriolis forces generate the geostrophic surface currents which form the major ocean current systems such as the Gulf Stream, the Kuroshio, and the Antarctic Circumpolar current. Hence, the dynamic ocean topography derived using satellite altimetry and geoid information from the GRACE and GOCE satellite missions substantially improves our knowledge about both ocean circulation and ocean mass variations.
Introduction
Knowledge about the ocean circulation is important for understanding the Earth climate. The transport of mass and heat from one region to the other may have an important impact on the local climate. This...
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References and Reading
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Knudsen, P., Andersen, O. (2024). Dynamic Topography of the Oceans. In: Sideris, M.G. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geodesy. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02370-0_32-1
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