A satellite mission concept to unravel small-scale ocean dynamics and air-sea interactions: ODYSEA (Ocean Dynamics and Surface Exchange with the Atmosphere)

Ocean surface currents are critical not only to ocean dynamics, but also to marine ecosystems, maritime navigation and safety, search and rescue, monitoring and mitigation of marine pollution including oil spills, plastic, and debris. Wind-current coupling impacts both the ocean and the atmosphere, thereby influencing weather and climate. Recent modeling studies underscore the importance of submeoscale-to-mesoscale surface currents in ocean dynamics, marine ecosystems, and air-sea interactions. However, the present observing system is inadequate in observing these currents, posing major challenges in understanding their impacts. Moreover, many operational oceanography applications require measurements of these small-scale currents over the global ocean.  To reduce these knowledge and capability gaps, here we present a satellite mission concept “Ocean Dynamics and Surface Exchange with the Atmosphere” (ODYSEA) that is being proposed as a NASA Earth System Explorers satellite through a strong partnership with CNES. The mission will provide the first-ever measurements of total (geostrophic+ageostrophic) surface currents in the global ocean along with simultaneous measurements of ocean-surface vector winds. ODYSEA is designed to have a 1700-km wide swath, providing approximately daily coverage of the global ocean with 5-km postings. These measurements will provide an unprecedented opportunity to unravel the physical processes underlying small-scale ocean dynamics and air-sea interactions. ODYSEA’s near real-time data will support key operational needs such as weather and ocean forecasting, search and rescue, and seafaring.