SST Dynamics at Different Scales: Evaluating the Oceanographic Model Resolution Skill to Represent SST Processes in the Southern Ocean
In this study we demonstrate the many strengths of scale analysis: we use it to evaluate the Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean model skill in representing sea surface temperature (SST) in the Southern Ocean by comparing three model resolutions: 1/12°, 1/4°, and 1°. We show that while 4–5 t...
Published in: | Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans |
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American Geophysical Union
2019
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ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:522977 2023-05-15T18:25:07+02:00 SST Dynamics at Different Scales: Evaluating the Oceanographic Model Resolution Skill to Represent SST Processes in the Southern Ocean Skákala, Jozef Smyth, Tim J. Torres, Ricardo Buckingham, Christian E. Brearley, Alexander Hyder, Pat Coward, Andrew C. 2019-03-14 text http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/522977/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/522977/1/Sk-kala_et_al-2019-Journal_of_Geophysical_Research__Oceans.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JC014791 en eng American Geophysical Union https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/522977/1/Sk-kala_et_al-2019-Journal_of_Geophysical_Research__Oceans.pdf Skákala, Jozef; Smyth, Tim J.; Torres, Ricardo; Buckingham, Christian E. orcid:0000-0001-9355-9038 Brearley, Alexander orcid:0000-0003-3700-8017 Hyder, Pat; Coward, Andrew C. orcid:0000-0002-9111-7700 . 2019 SST Dynamics at Different Scales: Evaluating the Oceanographic Model Resolution Skill to Represent SST Processes in the Southern Ocean. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 124 (4). 2546-2570. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JC014791 <https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JC014791> cc_by_4 CC-BY Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2019 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JC014791 2023-02-04T19:48:08Z In this study we demonstrate the many strengths of scale analysis: we use it to evaluate the Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean model skill in representing sea surface temperature (SST) in the Southern Ocean by comparing three model resolutions: 1/12°, 1/4°, and 1°. We show that while 4–5 times resolution scale is sufficient for each model resolution to reproduce the magnitude of satellite Earth Observation (EO) SST spatial variability to within ±10%, the representation of ∼100-km SST variability patterns is substantially (e.g., ∼50% at 750 km) improved by increasing model resolution from 1° to 1/12°. We also analyzed the dominant scales of the SST model input drivers (short-wave radiation, air-sea heat fluxes, wind stress components, wind stress curl, and bathymetry) variability with the purpose of determining the optimal SST model input driver resolution. The SST magnitude of variability is shown to scale with two power law regimes separated by a scaling break at ∼200-km scale. The analysis of the spatial and temporal scales of dominant SST driver impact helps to interpret this scaling break as a separation between two different dynamical regimes: the (relatively) fast SST dynamics below ∼200 km governed by eddies, fronts, Ekman upwelling, and air-sea heat exchange, while above ∼200 km the SST variability is dominated by long-term (seasonal and supraseasonal) modes and the SST geography. Article in Journal/Newspaper Southern Ocean Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Southern Ocean Curl ENVELOPE(-63.071,-63.071,-70.797,-70.797) Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 124 4 2546 2570 |
institution |
Open Polar |
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Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
op_collection_id |
ftnerc |
language |
English |
description |
In this study we demonstrate the many strengths of scale analysis: we use it to evaluate the Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean model skill in representing sea surface temperature (SST) in the Southern Ocean by comparing three model resolutions: 1/12°, 1/4°, and 1°. We show that while 4–5 times resolution scale is sufficient for each model resolution to reproduce the magnitude of satellite Earth Observation (EO) SST spatial variability to within ±10%, the representation of ∼100-km SST variability patterns is substantially (e.g., ∼50% at 750 km) improved by increasing model resolution from 1° to 1/12°. We also analyzed the dominant scales of the SST model input drivers (short-wave radiation, air-sea heat fluxes, wind stress components, wind stress curl, and bathymetry) variability with the purpose of determining the optimal SST model input driver resolution. The SST magnitude of variability is shown to scale with two power law regimes separated by a scaling break at ∼200-km scale. The analysis of the spatial and temporal scales of dominant SST driver impact helps to interpret this scaling break as a separation between two different dynamical regimes: the (relatively) fast SST dynamics below ∼200 km governed by eddies, fronts, Ekman upwelling, and air-sea heat exchange, while above ∼200 km the SST variability is dominated by long-term (seasonal and supraseasonal) modes and the SST geography. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Skákala, Jozef Smyth, Tim J. Torres, Ricardo Buckingham, Christian E. Brearley, Alexander Hyder, Pat Coward, Andrew C. |
spellingShingle |
Skákala, Jozef Smyth, Tim J. Torres, Ricardo Buckingham, Christian E. Brearley, Alexander Hyder, Pat Coward, Andrew C. SST Dynamics at Different Scales: Evaluating the Oceanographic Model Resolution Skill to Represent SST Processes in the Southern Ocean |
author_facet |
Skákala, Jozef Smyth, Tim J. Torres, Ricardo Buckingham, Christian E. Brearley, Alexander Hyder, Pat Coward, Andrew C. |
author_sort |
Skákala, Jozef |
title |
SST Dynamics at Different Scales: Evaluating the Oceanographic Model Resolution Skill to Represent SST Processes in the Southern Ocean |
title_short |
SST Dynamics at Different Scales: Evaluating the Oceanographic Model Resolution Skill to Represent SST Processes in the Southern Ocean |
title_full |
SST Dynamics at Different Scales: Evaluating the Oceanographic Model Resolution Skill to Represent SST Processes in the Southern Ocean |
title_fullStr |
SST Dynamics at Different Scales: Evaluating the Oceanographic Model Resolution Skill to Represent SST Processes in the Southern Ocean |
title_full_unstemmed |
SST Dynamics at Different Scales: Evaluating the Oceanographic Model Resolution Skill to Represent SST Processes in the Southern Ocean |
title_sort |
sst dynamics at different scales: evaluating the oceanographic model resolution skill to represent sst processes in the southern ocean |
publisher |
American Geophysical Union |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/522977/ https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/522977/1/Sk-kala_et_al-2019-Journal_of_Geophysical_Research__Oceans.pdf https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JC014791 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-63.071,-63.071,-70.797,-70.797) |
geographic |
Southern Ocean Curl |
geographic_facet |
Southern Ocean Curl |
genre |
Southern Ocean |
genre_facet |
Southern Ocean |
op_relation |
https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/522977/1/Sk-kala_et_al-2019-Journal_of_Geophysical_Research__Oceans.pdf Skákala, Jozef; Smyth, Tim J.; Torres, Ricardo; Buckingham, Christian E. orcid:0000-0001-9355-9038 Brearley, Alexander orcid:0000-0003-3700-8017 Hyder, Pat; Coward, Andrew C. orcid:0000-0002-9111-7700 . 2019 SST Dynamics at Different Scales: Evaluating the Oceanographic Model Resolution Skill to Represent SST Processes in the Southern Ocean. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 124 (4). 2546-2570. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JC014791 <https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JC014791> |
op_rights |
cc_by_4 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JC014791 |
container_title |
Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans |
container_volume |
124 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
2546 |
op_container_end_page |
2570 |
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1766206338223833088 |