A Comparison between the TOPEX/POSEIDON Data and a Global Ocean General Circulation Model during 1992-93

• Main Authors: Yi Chao, Lee-Lueng Fu
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Pacific; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.32.3543; http://jpltrs.jpl.nasa.gov/1995/95-1147.pdf

The sea level observation during 1992-93 was used to validate the simulation made by a global ocean general circulation model forced by the daily wind stress and heat flux derived from National Meteorological Center operational analysis. The OGCM is a version of the Modular Ocean Model with a horizontal resolution of 2 degrees in longitude and 1 degree in latitude and 22 levels in the vertical. The model simulation is compared to the observation at spatial scales on the order of 500 km and larger. Only the temporal variations are examined. The variability is composed primarily of the annual cycle and fluctuations (periods shorter than 100 days). The basic features of the annual cycle are simulated well by the model. Major discrepancies are found in the eastern tropical Pacific, as well as the eastern North Pacific and most of the interior of the North Atlantic. The culprit is suspected to be the inadequate heat forcing and mixing pararneterizations of model. Significant variability is.