In this work a new methodology is proposed to correct the thermal lag error in data from unpumped CTD sensors installed on Slocum gliders. The advantage of the new approach is twofold: first, it takes into account the variable speed of the glider; and second, it can be applied to CTD profiles from an autonomous platform either with or without a reference cast. The proposed methodology finds values for four correction parameters that minimize the area between two temperature-salinity curves given by two CTD profiles. A field experiment with a Slocum glider and a standard CTD was conducted to test the method. Thermal lag-induced salinity error of about 0.3 psu was found and successfully corrected.

[1] Dynamics along the continental slopes are difficult to observe given the wide spectrum of temporal and spatial variability of physical processes which occur (coastal currents, meanders, eddies, etc.). Studying such complex dynamics requires the development of synergic approaches that use integrated observing systems. In this context, we present the results of an observational program conducted in the Balearic Sea combining coastal gliders and altimetry. The objectives of this experiment are to study regional dynamics using new technologies, such as gliders, in synergy with satellite altimetry and to investigate the limitations and potential improvement to altimetric data sets in the coastal zone. In this regard, new methodologies have been developed to compute consistent altimetric and glider velocities, and a novel technique to estimate absolute glider velocities, combining surface glider geostrophic velocities with integrated currents estimated from the glider GPS positioning, has been applied. In addition, the altimetric velocity computation has been improved, especially in the coastal zone, using high-frequency along-track sampling associated with new filtering and editing techniques. This approach proves efficient for homogenizing the physical contents of altimetry and glider surface currents (percentage of standard deviation explained is >40) and characterizing regional dynamics in the Balearic Sea through a combined analysis of a high-resolution observing system, such as the appearance of anomalous intense mesoscale features missing in the classical circulation scheme of the Balearic Sea.Citation: Bouffard, J., A. Pascual, S. Ruiz, Y. Faugère, and J. Tintoré (2010), Coastal and mesoscale dynamics characterization using altimetry and gliders: A case study in the

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Recent data from an autonomous ocean glider in the Ibiza Channel (Western Mediterranean Sea) show variations in the transport volumes of water over timescales of days‐weeks, as large as those previously only identifiable as seasonal or eddy driven. High frequency variation in transports of water masses has critical implications for ocean forecasting. Three potential modes of transport are proposed, which have the potential to simplify the previously observed complex pattern of flows. Restricted ‘choke points’ between ocean basins are critical locations to monitor water transport variability; the Ibiza Channel is one such ‘choke point’, where variation in the transports of water masses are known to affect the spawning grounds of commercially important fish stocks.