Premium
The use of ocean reanalysis products to initialize ENSO predictions
Author(s) -
Tang Youmin,
Kleeman Richard,
Moore Andrew M.,
Weaver Anthony,
Vialard Jérôme
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2003gl017664
Subject(s) - initialization , el niño southern oscillation , data assimilation , climatology , sea surface temperature , environmental science , assimilation (phonology) , meteorology , geology , computer science , geography , linguistics , philosophy , programming language
With a three‐dimensional variational (3D‐Var) assimilation scheme and a hybrid coupled model, we have explored the possibility of initializing ENSO prediction models by assimilating NCEP (National Centers of Environment Prediction) reanalysis subsurface temperatures. Our results show that, compared to predictions without assimilation, the reanalysis product can effectively improve prediction of both Niño3 sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) at all lead times up to 12 months (in particular for lead times over 4–6 months) and of El Niño episodes. The oceanic analysis from the assimilation with the reanalysis product can be as good as those generated by directly assimilating subsurface in situ temperature observations.