Temporal variability of the antarctic circumpolar current observed from satellite altimetry

Sea level measurements by the Seasat altimeter were used to study the temporal variability of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current between July and October 1978. Large-scale zonal coherence in the cross-stream sea level difference was observed, indicating a general increase in the surface geostrophic velocity of the current around the Southern Ocean. The result demonstrates the power of satellite altimetry to monitor the variability of large-scale ocean currents.