GRACE, a tool to investigate ocean gyre

The GRACE satellite mission allows evidencing time-varying mass anomalies in the oceans. In particular, we investigate to which extend GRACE can be used to recover anomalies associated to gyres, and interpret the time variable dynamics in terms of gyre dynamics. GRACE, altimetry and in-situ temperature and salinity of ARGO series allow comparing mass variations with sea surface changes and mass in the first 2000 m of the water column, respectively. This provides information on most probable causes of mass changes, e.g. ruling out or not a water bump at the sea surface or sedimentation effects.