The Gulf of Arauco is a semi-enclosed and industrialized bay located in southern Chile (~37°S), where significant biophysical interactions occur. It is in one of the most productive coastal upwelling systems of the Pacific Ocean. Locally, the Gulf hydrodynamics are significantly influenced by the discharge of the Biobio River, which seasonally modulates the Gulf’s circulation and biogeochemistry and extends its influence over the continental shelf. Moreover, coastal Trapped Waves modulate the coastal sea level and pycnocline, influencing the upwelling dynamics and the coastal mean circulation.
Comparisons of high resolution altimetric observations (KaRIn and SAR altimetry), and FFSAR observations will be performed against independent data accounting for coastal dynamics (Ocean colour, SST, tide gauges, wind data).
The goal of this study is to diagnose the limitations of the state-of-the-art altimetry data products in the coastal area, and to identify potential sources of improvement, aiming towards improving the capabilities in characterizing the meso- to submesoscale variability in the coastal regions.