@article{fdi:010082141,
  title = {{D}etection and tracking of mesoscale eddies in the {M}editerranean {S}ea : a comparison between the sea level anomaly and the absolute dynamic topography fields},
  author = {{P}egliasco, {C}. and {C}haigneau, {A}lexis and {M}orrow, {R}. and {D}umas, {F}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{M}editerranean {S}ea eddies are often generated in fixed geographical locations linked to either bathymetric fluctuations, coastline changes, instabilities around islands, or orographic wind forcing. {B}ecause of that, the mean circulation exhibits features with the same special scales as the mesoscale field. {W}e provide here a first comparison of eddies detected and tracked using two altimetry products, the {S}ea {L}evel {A}nomaly ({SLA}) and the {A}bsolute {D}ynamic {T}opography ({ADT}), from 2000 to 2015. {W}e showed that more individual eddies and trajectories are detected in the {SLA} data than in the {ADT}, having larger radius but lower {E}ddy {K}inetic {E}nergy. {T}he spatial distri-bution of the mesoscale activity is different between the two data sets: the {ADT}-detected eddies closely follow the {M}ean {D}ynamic {T}opog-raphy ({MDT}) patterns which include the mean eddy generation sites whereas the {SLA}-detected eddies show more spatial homogeneity. {T}he larger eddies are generally well detected in both the {ADT} or the {SLA} fields, but the numerous smaller and coastal eddies detected in the {SLA} fields have a tendency to mismatch the {ADT} detected eddies. {O}nly 20-30% of eddies are detected exclusively in the {SLA} or the {ADT} product (i.e. have no collocation in the other field), whereas to 65-80% of the eddies are detected both in the {SLA} and the {ADT} fields. {T}he {I}erapetra {E}ddy is a typical example of the limitation of the {SLA}-detected eddies, as this orographically controlled feature is present in the {MDT} and thus leads to an artificial cyclonic eddy in the {SLA} field that shifts around its most frequent position. {T}his study recommends the use of {ADT} fields for the detection of mesoscale structures in the {M}editerranean {S}ea where the mean circulation and these mesoscale features have the same spatial scale and intensity, and similarly for any other ocean regions where the {MDT} contains mesoscale patterns. {Y}et the {ADT} fields depend on the accuracy of the {MDT}, and the altimeter-based {SLA} fields may be preferable in specific locations where the {MDT} is not reliable.},
  keywords = {{A}ltimetry ; {M}esoscale eddies ; {M}editerranean {S}ea ; {S}ea level ; {MEDITERRANEE}},
  booktitle = {25 years of progress in radar altimetry},
  journal = {{A}dvances in {S}pace {R}esearch},
  volume = {68},
  numero = {2 {N}o {S}p{\'e}cial},
  pages = {401--419},
  ISSN = {0273-1177},
  year = {2021},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.asr.2020.03.039},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010082141},
}