Chapter 6 Remote sensing of oceanic extra-tropical Rossby waves

Abstract Long baroclinic Rossby waves play a fundamental role in ocean dynamics and can dramatically affect weather patterns and climate. In recent years, satellite remote sensing has provided a global picture of these propagating signals, which are characterized by very large wavelengths (hundreds or thousands of km) and small surface signatures (a few cm). After presenting the basics of Rossby wave theory, we review the results obtained so far from satellite observations and briefly summarize recent suggested revisions to the standard linear theory of Rossby wave propagation. We then describe the processing and the corrections applied to global datasets of altimeter and sea surface temperature data to make them suitable for Rossby wave analysis. We discuss the importance of Rossby wave studies for the validation of ocean circulation models, and present a brief comparison between satellite-observed and model-derived waves. Finally, we consider possible future developments of Rossby wave research, which will improve our knowledge about how the oceans respond to atmospheric forcing and climatic events.