Internal solitary waves(ISW),characterized by large amplitude and long propagation distance,are widespread in global oceans.While remote sensing images have played an essential role in studying ISWs,they mainly exploi...Internal solitary waves(ISW),characterized by large amplitude and long propagation distance,are widespread in global oceans.While remote sensing images have played an essential role in studying ISWs,they mainly exploit two-dimensional image information.However,with the launch of the surface water ocean topography(SWOT)satellite on December 16,2022,a unique opportunity has emerged to capture wide-swath three-dimensional ISW-induced sea surface information.In this study,we examine ISWs in the Andaman Sea using data from the Ka-band Radar Interferometer(KaRIN),a crucial sensor onboard SWOT.KaRIN not only provides backscattering satellite images but also employs synthetic aperture interferometry techniques to retrieve wide-swath two-dimensional sea surface height measurements.Our observations in the Andaman Sea revealed the presence of ISWs characterized by dark-bright strips and surface elevation solitons.The surface soliton has an amplitude of 0.32 m,resulting in an estimation of ISW amplitude of approximately 60 m.In contrast to traditional two-dimensional satellite images or nadir-looking altimetry data,the SWOT mission’s capability to capture threedimensional sea surface information represents a significant advancement.This breakthrough holds substantial promise for ISW studies,particularly in the context of ISW amplitude inversion.展开更多
Surface Water and Ocean Topography(SWOT)is a next-generation radar altimeter that offers high resolution,wide swath,imaging capabilities.It has provided free public data worldwide since December 2023.This paper aims t...Surface Water and Ocean Topography(SWOT)is a next-generation radar altimeter that offers high resolution,wide swath,imaging capabilities.It has provided free public data worldwide since December 2023.This paper aims to preliminarily analyze the detection capabilities of the Ka-band radar interferometer(KaRIn)and Nadir altimeter(NALT),which are carried out by SWOT for internal solitary waves(ISWs),and to gather other remote sensing images to validate SWOT observations.KaRIn effectively detects ISW surface features and generates surface height variation maps reflecting the modulations induced by ISWs.However,its swath width does not completely cover the entire wave packet,and the resolution of L2/L3 level products(about 2 km)cannot be used to identify ISWs with smaller wavelengths.Additionally,significant wave height(SWH)images exhibit blocky structures that are not suitable for ISW studies;sea surface height anomaly(SSHA)images display systematic leftright banding.We optimize this imbalance using detrending methods;however,more precise treatment should commence with L1-level data.Quantitative analysis based on L3-level SSHA data indicates that the average SSHA variation induced by ISWs ranges from 10 cm to 20 cm.NALTs disturbed by ISWs record unusually elevated SWH and SSHA values,rendering the data unsuitable for analysis and necessitating targeted corrections in future retracking algorithms.For the normalized radar cross section,Ku-band and four-parameter maximum likelihood estimation retracking demonstrated greater sensitivity to minor changes in the sea surface,making them more suitable for ISW detection.In conclusion,SWOT demonstrates outstanding capabilities in ISW detection,significantly advancing research on the modulation of the sea surface by ISWs and remote sensing imaging mechanisms.展开更多
基金Supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2022YFE0204600)the National Natural Science Foundation for Young Scientists of China(No.41906157)。
文摘Internal solitary waves(ISW),characterized by large amplitude and long propagation distance,are widespread in global oceans.While remote sensing images have played an essential role in studying ISWs,they mainly exploit two-dimensional image information.However,with the launch of the surface water ocean topography(SWOT)satellite on December 16,2022,a unique opportunity has emerged to capture wide-swath three-dimensional ISW-induced sea surface information.In this study,we examine ISWs in the Andaman Sea using data from the Ka-band Radar Interferometer(KaRIN),a crucial sensor onboard SWOT.KaRIN not only provides backscattering satellite images but also employs synthetic aperture interferometry techniques to retrieve wide-swath two-dimensional sea surface height measurements.Our observations in the Andaman Sea revealed the presence of ISWs characterized by dark-bright strips and surface elevation solitons.The surface soliton has an amplitude of 0.32 m,resulting in an estimation of ISW amplitude of approximately 60 m.In contrast to traditional two-dimensional satellite images or nadir-looking altimetry data,the SWOT mission’s capability to capture threedimensional sea surface information represents a significant advancement.This breakthrough holds substantial promise for ISW studies,particularly in the context of ISW amplitude inversion.
基金The National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract Nos U2006207 and 42006164.
文摘Surface Water and Ocean Topography(SWOT)is a next-generation radar altimeter that offers high resolution,wide swath,imaging capabilities.It has provided free public data worldwide since December 2023.This paper aims to preliminarily analyze the detection capabilities of the Ka-band radar interferometer(KaRIn)and Nadir altimeter(NALT),which are carried out by SWOT for internal solitary waves(ISWs),and to gather other remote sensing images to validate SWOT observations.KaRIn effectively detects ISW surface features and generates surface height variation maps reflecting the modulations induced by ISWs.However,its swath width does not completely cover the entire wave packet,and the resolution of L2/L3 level products(about 2 km)cannot be used to identify ISWs with smaller wavelengths.Additionally,significant wave height(SWH)images exhibit blocky structures that are not suitable for ISW studies;sea surface height anomaly(SSHA)images display systematic leftright banding.We optimize this imbalance using detrending methods;however,more precise treatment should commence with L1-level data.Quantitative analysis based on L3-level SSHA data indicates that the average SSHA variation induced by ISWs ranges from 10 cm to 20 cm.NALTs disturbed by ISWs record unusually elevated SWH and SSHA values,rendering the data unsuitable for analysis and necessitating targeted corrections in future retracking algorithms.For the normalized radar cross section,Ku-band and four-parameter maximum likelihood estimation retracking demonstrated greater sensitivity to minor changes in the sea surface,making them more suitable for ISW detection.In conclusion,SWOT demonstrates outstanding capabilities in ISW detection,significantly advancing research on the modulation of the sea surface by ISWs and remote sensing imaging mechanisms.
