ECCO-V4r2 Data and SWOT Reveal Key Oceanographic Features of the California Current System

The California Current System (CCS) is a dynamic and complex oceanic region characterized by strong, persistent coastal upwelling, complex circulation patterns, and a rich biological ecosystem. The CCS is of significant scientific interest due to its unique oceanographic features, which have important implications for climate, fisheries, and marine ecosystems. This study specifically focuses on the CCS and compares the contributions of Sverdrup, Ekman, and Geostrophic transports along the transect at 41.5°N. The analysis is based on the ECCOv4 data (Forget et al., 2015), which is averaged over monthly climatologies to understand the relative magnitudes of transports. The findings reveal that, on average, the flow in the California Current is primarily dominated by the Sver-drup and Ekman components. At the same time, as we move towards the interior (east-ward), the Sverdrup components balance out the zonal geostrophic component. The contribution of Sverdrup without Ekman transport is negligible both in this system. Finally, simulated data from the Surface Water and Ocean Topology (SWOT) was implied to gain a better understanding of the sea surface anomalies and corresponding geostrophic velocity .