What ocean subsurface and deeper ocean features/processes can be characterized by models using images and measurements of sea surface features/processes obtained by satellite sensors?
Please consider all potential subsurface and deeper ocean features/processes, such as meddies, mixed layer depth, internal waves, seabottom topography, etc. in your answers.
Do we have satellite data sets which can help us imaging seabottom? I think grace can be used for looking at changes in gravity due to seafloor spreading.
Altimetry will show surface anomalies associated with subsurface and deeper processes such as mesoscale eddies and geostrophic currents. If the SSH from the altimeter is assimilated into general circulation models, the subsurface flow in the models can be improved
In marine geology, measurements of the marine gravity anomalies derived from satellite altimetry provide information about ocean floor structures on a global scale. These data are of reasonable resolution (primarily depending on the number of geodetic mapping satellites) with grid-cells commonly in the order of 20 km. Applications of the data include prediction of seafloor depth and morphology, plate tectonics, isostasy of volcanoes and spreading ridges and lithosphere elastic thickness.
A recent review of the methods can be found in:
K. M. Marks, W. H. F. Smith, D. T. Sandwell (2013). Significant improvements in marine gravity from ongoing satellite missions. Marine Geophysical Research, 34:137–146, DOI 10.1007/s11001-013-9190-8
And the classic
D. T. Sandwell and W. H. F. Smith (2009). Global marine gravity from retracked Geosat and ERS-1 altimetry: Ridge segmentation versus spreading rate. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 114, B01411, doi:10.1029/2008JB006008.
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