Open AccessImpact of river run‐off on global ocean mass redistribution
Author(s) -
Dobslaw Henryk,
Thomas Maik
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
geophysical journal international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.302
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1365-246X
pISSN - 0956-540X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-246x.2006.03247.x
Subject(s) - climatology , environmental science , water mass , hydrosphere , precipitation , arctic , geology , atmospheric sciences , oceanography , meteorology , biosphere , ecology , physics , biology
SUMMARY The impact of river run‐off on global ocean mass redistribution is analysed by means of simulations with the baroclinic general circulation model OMCT driven by real‐time atmospheric forcing fields from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). River run‐off data have been deduced from a Hydrological Discharge Model (HDM) forced with ECMWF data as well. While submonthly mass variability is generally insignificant for GRACE de‐aliasing purposes in most oceanic regions, monthly mean mass signals of up to 2 hPa occur in the Arctic Ocean during the melt season. Additionally, from freshwater fluxes due to precipitation, evaporation and river run‐off the seasonal variations of total ocean mass are calculated. Correspondence with observed mass variations deduced from monthly GRACE gravity solutions indicates that a combination of ECMWF, HDM and OMCT allows a consistent prognostic simulation of mass exchanges among the atmosphere, ocean and continental hydrosphere. Thus, interpretations of GRACE based mass anomalies should account for both regional and global river run‐off effects.