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Observations of Baroclinic Tides in the California Current From the SWOT Satellite Altimeter and In Situ Data

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Sea‐surface topography observations from the Surface Water & Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite altimeter mission are used to map the baroclinic internal tides in a region off California during the 1‐day calibration/validation orbit phase of the mission. The observations, which cover the period from 30 March through 10 July 2023, reveal a large‐scale internal wave field dominated by waves generated at the Mendocino Fracture zone approximately 500 km north of the region studied. Tidal harmonic constants of baroclinic sea level are derived from mooring observations at four sites within the KaRIn swath and compared with the SWOT data. The harmonic constants from the moorings and altimeter agree qualitatively; however, the SWOT results are significantly uncertain due to long‐wavelength platform errors and non‐astronomical tidal modulations. Spectral analysis of the time series reveal that the phase‐locked tide explains about 75% of the baroclinic sea level variance in the semidiurnal band.

Source: Journal of Geophysical Research Oceans

DOI: 10.1029/2025jc023119

Authors: Edward D. Zaron, Amy F. Waterhouse, Jinbo Wang, Uwe Send, Andrew J. Lucas

Institutions: Oregon State University, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, Texas A&M University

Language: English

Topic: Oceanographic and Atmospheric Processes

Subfield: Oceanography

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

OpenAlex ID: W7128294438

FWCI: 7.533

Cites: 22

Cited by: 2

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