Impact of assimilation of dynamical ocean topography on Southern Ocean circulation estimates

摘要

Results of assimilation of multi‐mission‐altimeter data and the GRACE/GOCE gravity data into theudfinite element ocean model are investigated. By assimilating only absolute dynamical topographyuddataudusing the ensemble Kalman filter, we were able to improve modeled fields. Results are closer toudobservations which were not used for assimilation and lie outside the area covered by altimetry inudthe Southern Ocean (e.g. temperature of surface drifters or deep temperatures in the WeddelludSea area.) Further, since data assimilation produces ocean fields consistent with absolute DOT,udthis allows us to use the criteria of Orsi et al 1995 to find mean location of the fronts. The oceanudmodel representation of the locations of fronts is improved by assimilating dynamical oceanudtopography (DOT) data.