DETLEF STAMMER
Physical Oceanography Research Division
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
MS: 0230
8605 La Jolla Shores Dr.
La Jolla 92093-0230
http://puddle.mit.edu/~detlef
dstammer@ucsd.edu
Abstract:
The turbulent nature of the ocean flow field and the disparate
techniques used to observe it mean that the only feasible approach
to obtaining a dynamically consistent synthesis is through
the combination with global general circulation models (GCMs). However,
global data sets and the required high spatial resolution produce a
burdensome computational load which can hardly be met with currently
available hardware.
The approach is demonstrated from an ongoing effort based on the MIT global ocean general circulation model which is being constrained by the absolute, and time-varying TOPEX/POSEIDON and ERS-1/2 altimeter data relative to the EGM96 geoid model, monthly sea surface temperature fields, time-varying NCEP surface fluxes and the Levitus monthly mean hydrography. The model is forced to consistency with those fields, within a complex, specified error margin, by using the model adjoint to modify the initial temperature and salinity conditions over the full water column and to adjust the time-varying meteorological forcing fields over the full estimation period. Preliminary estimates of numerous oceanographic fields (three dimensional velocities, heat fluxes, etc.) are available.