Bianca Champenois (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States); Leah Johnson (University of Washington, United States)

Submesoscale O(1-10km) dynamics are known for their role in impacting stratification and the vertical structure of the upper ocean. In this work, we evaluate the relationship between the sea surface height (SSH) signal measured by SWOT and the vertical structure in the oceanic mixed layer. We use data from cross-over regions where SWOT, surface temperature and salinity measurements are available alongside in-situ data from moorings and Argo. We derive the vertical modes based on principal component analysis and compare with signatures of submesoscale restratification in isopycnal tilting. We identify clear relationships between SSH and the vertical modes, highlighting the significance of fine-scale features from SWOT to reconstruct submesoscale contributions of ocean mixed layer dynamics.