Isopycnal Empirical orthogonal Functions (EOFs) in the North and Tropical Atlantic and their use in estimation problems.

• Published in: Journal of Geophysical Research
• Main Authors: Faucher, Pascal, Gavart, Michel, De Mey, Pierre
• Other Authors: Laboratoire d'études en Géophysique et océanographie spatiales (LEGOS), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP), Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Echanges Côte-Large (ECOLA), Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Météo France-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2002
• Subjects: Atlantic Ocean Islands; Atlantic Ocean; North Atlantic; Madeira; Azores; Tropical Atlantic Ocean; Depth profile; Sea level; Altimetry; Anticyclonic eddy; Thermal front; Gulf Stream; Thermocline; Surface temperature; Spatial variation; Data assimilation; Anomaly; Dynamic height; Potential temperature; Coordinate system; Thermal variation; Empirical orthogonal function; [SDU.STU.OC]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Oceanography
• Online Access: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00764343; https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00764343/document; https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00764343/file/jgrc8644.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1029/2000JC000690

International audience We investigated the vertical variability of the thermal/dynamical structure of the North and tropical Atlantic ocean from a set of historical hydrographic data [Reynaud et al., 1998]. The analysis was performed in 10° geographic bins in terms of vertical empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) in isopycnal coordinates as first proposed by Gavart and De Mey [1997] (hereinafter referred to as GDM97). In the isopycnal coordinate system the state vector is made up of isopycnal displacements (η) and the compensated potential temperature along isopycnals (θ). GDM97 showed that in the Azores-Madeira region the isopycnal EOFs consistently help to better separate physical processes in the water column and to better project the dynamic height anomaly downward in comparison with the classical EOF analysis in depth coordinates. In the present study, we extended their work geographically and the connection with state estimation and data assimilation was more formalized. From our results, smooth spatial variations of isopycnal EOFs were found in the North Atlantic and confirmed the large-scale relevance of isopycnal EOFs in the ocean. North of 20°N the dominant isopycnal EOF was associated with a quasihomogeneous vertical displacement of the isopycnal surfaces (η ≃ 1) with a quasiconservation of compensated potential temperature on those surfaces (θ ≃ 0). That mode was strongly modified by thermocline-intensified baroclinic effects along the path of the Gulf Stream up to 40°W. Some physical interpretations of the vertical EOFs were also suggested in several areas as far as the isopycnal formulation was concerned (e.g., some thermal fronts, the Mediterranean outflow, water lenses, or meddies). This work confirmed the validity of the ideas of GDM97 over the entire North Atlantic ocean. The potential use of the isopycnal EOFs in state estimation problems was discussed. They are possible candidates to reduce the order of state estimation problems provided that they have good observability properties. These ...