Open AccessDynamical interpolation of mesoscale flows in the TOPEX/Poseidon diamond surrounding the U.S. Joint Global Ocean Flux Study Bermuda Atlantic Time‐series study site
Author(s) -
McGillicuddy D. J.,
Kosnyrev V. K.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: oceans
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2000jc000363
Subject(s) - hindcast , mesoscale meteorology , geology , ocean surface topography , context (archaeology) , anomaly (physics) , boundary current , sea surface height , interpolation (computer graphics) , series (stratigraphy) , geodesy , climatology , meteorology , altimeter , ocean current , physics , motion (physics) , paleontology , classical mechanics , condensed matter physics
An open boundary ocean model is configured in a domain bounded by the four TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P) ground tracks surrounding the U.S. Joint Global Ocean Flux Study Bermuda Atlantic Time‐series Study (BATS) site. This implementation facilitates prescription of model boundary conditions directly from altimetric measurements (both T/P and ERS‐2). The expected error characteristics for a domain of this size with periodically updated boundary conditions are established with idealized numerical experiments using simulated data. A hindcast simulation is then constructed using actual altimetric observations during the period October 1992 through September 1998. Quantitative evaluation of the simulation suggests significant skill. The correlation coefficient between predicted sea level anomaly and ERS observations in the model interior is 0.89; that for predicted versus observed dynamic height anomaly based on hydrography at the BATS site is 0.73. Comparison with the idealized experiments suggests that the main source of error in the hindcast is temporal undersampling of the boundary conditions. The hindcast simulation described herein provides a basis for retrospective analysis of BATS observations in the context of the mesoscale eddy field.