New Opportunities
The launch of the SWOT-KaRIn mission has opened up new opportunities for improving DUACS (Data Unification and Altimeter Combination System) high-resolution products. The integration of SWOT data promises to enhance the precision and capabilities of existing DUACS products, particularly for small mesoscale features.
Ongoing R&D Activities
Ongoing research and development (R&D) activities are focused on advancing DUACS processing methods to better leverage SWOT data for small mesoscale features in L3 and L4 products. This continued effort aims to optimize the accuracy and resolution of the products, making them more reliable for various applications in oceanography.
- First Demonstration of L3 & L4 Products: The first demonstration of L3 and L4 products, incorporating SWOT-KaRIn data, has been made available on AVISO+ since April 2023. This milestone represents a significant step forward in the development of high-resolution oceanographic products, as detailed by Dibarboure et al. (2024) and further discussed in the presentation by Pujol et al. (Thursday, 5).
- Capabilities of L3 Products : L3 products are now capable of resolving small mesoscale structures, with a spatial resolution of approximately 20 km in diameter. For the first time, these products also provide an estimate of vorticity, offering a new insight into ocean dynamics that was previously unavailable.
Future Potential of KaRIn Data
The SWOT-KaRIn data holds great potential to significantly enhance DUACS products, particularly in polar and coastal regions. As processing methods continue to improve, these regions are expected to benefit from higher-resolution data, offering more detailed insights into oceanographic features.
Figure: Illustration of the sea level anomalies L4 DUACS product deduced for multimission nadir measurements (background) and contemporaneous L3 SWOT-KarIN product. Courtesy M, Archer, JPL
Figure: Illustration of the SWOT-KarIN L3 processing step