Impact of Ocean Mean Dynamic Topography on Satellite Data Assimilation

The response of an eddy-permitting ocean model to changes imposed by the use of different mean dynamic topographies (MDT) is analyzed in a multivariate assimilation context, allowing the evaluation of this impact, not only on the surface circulation, but also on the interior ocean representation. The assimilation scheme is a reduced-order sequential Kalman filter (SEEK). In a first set of experiments, high resolution sea surface temperature, along-track sea surface height and sea surface salinity from climatology are assimilated into a 1/3° resolution North and Tropical Atlantic version of the HYCOM model. In a second experiment, in situ profile data are assimilated in addition to the surface measurements.

The first set of experiments illustrates that important differences in the representation of the horizontal model circulation pattern are related to differences in the MDT used. The objective of assimilation is to improve the representation of the 3D ocean state. However, the imperfect representation of the mean dynamic topography appears to be an important limiting factor with regard to the degree of realism obtained in the simulated flow.

Vertical temperature and salinity profiles are key observations to drive a general circulation ocean model toward a more realistic state. The second set of experiments shows that assimilating them in addition to sea surface measurements is a far from trivial exercise. A specific difficulty is due to inconsistencies between the dynamic topography diagnosed from in situ observations and that diagnosed from sea surface height. These two fields obtained from different data sources do not contain exactly the same information. In order to overcome this difficulty, a strategy is proposed and validated.     

多源数据推求的西太平洋区域海面动力地形比较分析

简述利用空间大地测量观测数据和海洋水文数据推求海面动力地形的方法。基于EGM96重力场模型和卫星重力恢复的重力场模型GL04C,联合卫星测高平均海面高模型分别推算西太平洋海域的平均海面动力地形,并与根据海洋水文数据推算之结果进行比较分析。结果表明:卫星重力场模型GL04C更好地表现了海面地形的细节特征。卫星重力和卫星测高的联合应用将成为确定海面动力地形的有效途径之一。     

Improving the Coastal Mean Dynamic Topography by Geodetic Combination of Tide Gauge and Satellite Altimetry

Abstract

The ocean mean dynamic topography (MDT) is the surface representation of the ocean circulation. The MDT may be determined by the ocean approach, which involves temporal averaging of numerical ocean circulation model information, or by the geodetic approach, wherein the MDT is derived using the ellipsoidal height of the mean sea surface (MSS), or mean sea level (MSL) minus the geoid as the geoid. The ellipsoidal height of the MSS might be estimated either by satellite or coastal tide gauges by connecting the tide gauge datum to the Earth-centred reference frame. In this article we present a novel approach to improve the coastal MDT, where the solution is based on both satellite altimetry and tide gauge data using new set of 302 tide gauges with ellipsoidal heights through the SONEL network. The approach was evaluated for the Northeast Atlantic coast where a dense network of GNSS-surveyed tide gauges is available. The typical misfit between tide gauge and satellite or oceanographic MDT was found to be around 9?cm. This misfit was found to be mainly due to small scale geoid errors. Similarly, we found, that a single tide gauge places only weak constraints on the coastal dynamic topography.     

卫星重力梯度测量在海洋科学中的应用分析

简述了卫星重力梯度测量技术的基本原理和GOCE数据特点;基于三个不同的重力场模型,采用不同阶次,联合卫星测高平均海面高模型分别推算出全球海面地形,并对结果作了比较分析;探讨了卫星重力梯度测量技术在海洋科学各相关领域的具体应用前景,指出卫星重力梯度测量技术的发展将为海洋科学发展带来巨大的变化。     

海洋数据同化与数据融合技术应用综述

简述了不同数据同化和数据融合方法在海洋环境监测与预测方面的应用、国内外相关业务单位的海洋分析和预报系统的现状,以及海洋数据同化将来的业务化应用的发展趋势。四维变分和集合卡尔曼滤波正在成为国际上海洋环境分析与预报的主要应用方向,海-气耦合数据同化以及海冰数据同化是目前数据同化方法研究的热点。     

Mean Dynamic Topography and Geostrophic Surface Currents in the Fram Strait Derived from Geodetic Data

Two mean dynamic topography (MDT) fields are determined in the Fram Strait between Svalbard and Greenland. New airborne gravity anomalies, older data, and two different mean sea surface (MSS) fields are combined using the least squares collocation (LSC) technique. The results are compared to an oceanographic MDT model and two synthetic MDT fields. The same main currents are seen in all fields. Additionally, smaller scale features are revealed in the new MDT fields. Geostrophic surface currents derived from the MDT models are compared to moorings and Lagrangian drifters. The agreement is desultory. The oceanographic data are an inadequate basis of comparison due to data gaps. Nevertheless, it is the only one available.     

A New Methodology for Incorporating Tide Gauge Data in Sea Surface Topography Models

As part of the Vertical Offshore Reference Frames (VORF) project sponsored by the U. K. Hydrographic Office, a new model for Sea Surface Topography (SST) around the British Isles has been developed. For offshore areas (greater than 30 km from the coast), this model is largely derived from satellite altimetry. However, its accuracy and level of detail have been enhanced in coastal areas by the inclusion of not only the 60 PSMSL tide gauges with long-term records around the coasts of the United Kingdom and Ireland but also some 385 gauges established at different epochs and for different observation spans by the U. K. Admiralty. All tide gauge data were brought into a common reference frame by a combination of datum models and direct GPS observations, but a more significant challenge was to bring all short-term sea level observations to an unbiased value at a common epoch. This was achieved through developing a spatial-temporal correlation model for the variations in mean sea level around the British Isles, which in turn meant that gauges with long-term observation spans could be used as control points to improve the accuracy of Admiralty gauges. It is demonstrated that the latter can contribute point observations of mean sea level (MSL) with a precision of 0.078 m. A combination of least squares collocation and interpolation was developed to merge the coastal point and offshore gridded data sets, with particular algorithms having to be developed for different configurations of coastal topology. The resulting model of sea surface topography is shown to present a smooth transition from inshore coastal areas to offshore zones. Further benefits of the techniques developed include an enhanced methodology for detecting datum discontinuities at permanent tide gauges.     

Impact of Multisatellite Altimeter Data Assimilation on Wave Analysis and Forecast

Satellite altimetry has become an important discipline in the development of sea-state forecasting or more generally in operational oceanography. Météo-France Marine and Oceanography Division is much involved in altimetry, in which it is also one of the main operational customers. Sea-state forecasts are produced every day with the help of numerical models assimilating Fast Delivery Product altimeter data from ESA ERS-2 satellite, available in real-time (3–5 h). These forecasts are transmitted to seamen as part of safety mission of persons and properties, or specific assistance for particular operations. With the launch of ENVISAT (from ESA, launched on 1 March 2002, to take over the ERS mission) and JASON-1 (from CNES/NASA, launched on 7 December 2001, successor of TOPEX/Poseidon), we have an unprecedented opportunity of improved coverage with the availability in quasi-real-time of data from several altimeters. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of using multisources of altimeter data in real-time, to improve wave model analyses and forecasts, at global scale. Since July 2003, Météo-France injects the wind/wave JASON-1 Operational Sensor Data Record on the WMO Global Transmitting System, making them available in near real-time to the international meteorological community. Similarly, fast delivery altimeter data of ENVISAT will improve coverage and contribute to the constant progress of marine meteorology. For this purpose, significant wave height time series were generated using the Wave Model WAM and the assimilation of altimeter wave heights from two satellites ERS-2 and JASON-1. The results were then compared to Geosat Follow-On (GFO, U.S. Navy Satellite) and moored buoy wave data. It is shown that the impact of data assimilation, when two (ERS-2 and JASON-1) or three (ERS-2 with JASON-1 and GFO) sources of data are used instead of one (ERS-2), in term of significant wave height, is larger in wave model analyses but smaller in wave model forecasts. However, there is no improvement in terms of wave periods, both in the analysis and forecast periods.     

Ocean Data Assimilation in the Tropical Pacific: A Short Survey

This short survey presents several research and operational developments of ocean data assimilation in the tropical Pacific, primarily for climate-scale phenomena. Aspects of theoretical error estimations, diagnostics and practical reduced space techniques are also briefly reported. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

基于POM模式与blending同化法建立中国近海潮汐模型

利用POM海洋数值模式建立了中国近海（2°N-41°N,99°E～132°E）分辨率为5′×5′的潮汐模型,模式采用blending同化法同化了由10年TOPEX／Poseidon测高数据反演的潮汐参数与沿岸52个验潮站观测。精度分析表明建立的潮汐模型的8分潮RSS为12．5cm。     

Effect of the Mean Dynamic Topography on the Geoid-to-Quasigeoid Separation Offshore

It is commonly acknowledged that offshore the quasigeoid very closely coincides with the geoid. Nevertheless, the numerical assessment supporting this assumption has not yet been provided. Moreover, the rigorous definition of the quasigeoid surface and consequently the geoid-to-quasigeoid separation offshore is not given in geodetic literature. To address these issues, we define in this study the quasigeoid surface offshore in the context of the mean sea level. We then derive the spectral expressions for computing the geoid-to-quasigeoid separation offshore and apply these expressions estimate the vertical separation between the geoid and the quasigeoid over the world's oceans and marginal seas using the global dataset of the DTU15 mean dynamic topography. By taking the analogy of defining the geoid-to-quasigeoid separation inland by means of the disturbing potential differences of values evaluated on the geoid and at the topographic surface, the computation offshore is practically realized from values of the disturbing potential on the geoid and at the mean sea surface. Our result shows that the geoid-to-quasigeoid separation offshore is completely negligible, with most of the values within the interval ±0.3 mm.     

红外和水色遥感资料同化研究设想

本文指出卫星红外及水色遥感资料同化研究，需要建立在中尺度分辨力大洋热力动力准地转运动与上混合层运动耦合数值模式的基础上，利用该耦合模式可进一步研究中尺度温度结构及相应运动场的形成、演化和统计特征，使该模式具有温度场预报应用的价值，并得到诸如叶绿素、悬浮泥沙等水色要素在空间场的分布，且使温度场和水色要素场与动力环境相协调。该项研究对卫星海洋学发展有深刻的理论意义和潜在应用前景。     

最优插值法在海温数据同化中的应用研究

海洋声场环境是决定海军作战行动成败的重要组成要素之一,海洋的垂直温度结构作为影响声速场的最重要因素,为了更精确更为实际的反映其分布特点,对其各种数据进行同化研究是十分必要的。文中针对海温数据来源的特点,提出了一种海温数据同化的最优插值方法,较好地完成了各种观测数据与背景数据的同化,并用各种数据进行了检验,其结果表明,利用最优插值法对海温数据进行同化处理是可行的,且同化效果比较理想。     

Trends in Extreme Mean Sea Level Quantiles from Satellite Altimetry

Satellite altimetry allows the study of sea-level long-term variability on a global and spatially uniform basis. Here quantile regression is applied to derive robust median regression trends of mean sea level as well as trends in extreme quantiles from radar altimetry time series. In contrast with ordinary least squares regression, which only provides an estimate on the rate of change of the mean of data distribution, quantile regression allows the estimation of trends at different quantiles of the data distribution, yielding a more complete picture of long-term variability. Trends derived from basin-wide averaged regional mean sea level time series are robust and similar for all quantiles, indicating that all parts of the data distribution are changing at the same rate. In contrast, trends are not robust and diverge across quantiles in the case of local time series. Trends are under- (over-)estimated in the western (eastern) equatorial Pacific. Furthermore, trends in the lowermost quantile (0.05) are larger than the median trend in the western Pacific, while trends in the uppermost quantile (0.95) are lower than the median trend in the eastern Pacific. These differences in trends in extreme mean sea level quantiles are explained by the exceptional effect of the strong 1997–1998 El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) event.     

Huffman数据压缩技术在卫星数据通信中的应用

当前,很多海洋监测平台利用卫星进行数据传输,卫星通信虽然有其自身的优点,但也存在一个突出的问题-通信费用高.针对通过卫星发送的海洋监测数据的特点,采用Huffman数据压缩技术对数据进行压缩,可以提高通信效率,降低通信费用.论文主要介绍了Huffman数据压缩技术原理以及如何将其应用到海洋监测平台的卫星数据通信中.     

Improving Ocean State by Assimilating SARAL/AltiKa Derived Sea Level and Other Satellite-Derived Data in MITGCM

Assimilation of satellite-derived surface datasets has been explored in the study. Three types of surface data, namely sea level anomaly, sea surface temperature and sea surface salinity, have been used in various data assimilation experiments. The emphasis has been on the extra benefit arising out of the additional sea level assimilation and hence there are two parallel runs, in one of which sea level assimilation has been withheld. The model used is a state-of-the art ocean general circulation model (OGCM) and the assimilation method is the widely used singular evolutive extended Kalman filter (SEEK). Evaluation of the assimilation skill has been carried out by comparing the simulated depth of the 20°C isotherm with the same quantity measured by buoys and Argo floats. Simulated subsurface temperature and salinity profiles have also been compared with the same profiles measured by Argo floats. Finally, surface currents in the assimilation runs have been compared with currents measured by several off-equatorial buoys. Addition of sea level has been found to substantially improve the quality of simulation. An important feature that has been effectively simulated by the addition of sea level in the assimilation scheme is the near-surface temperature inversion (2-3°C) in the northern Bay of Bengal.     

Approximate Variational Method for Ocean Data Assimilation

An approximate variational method is proposed to assimilate an oceanographic data set with a numerical ocean model. In the approximate method, the adjoint equation to a governing equation is derived and then converted to a finite difference form, in contrast to the ordinary, exact variational method which is composed of a finite difference equation adjoint to the finite difference governing equation. A cumbersome derivation of the adjoint equation is avoided, and finite difference schemes used for the original governing equation are easily utilized for the adjoint equation. This method has been verified with twin experiments. The flow field in the twin experiments is composed of dipole eddies in a two-layer quasi-geostrophic model. Initial and boundary conditions are control variables. The descent converges towards the exact field within 50 iterations, showing that the fundamental problem of the method (an unstable descent with a large number of iterations) does not appear. The approximate method is promising and should be tried with real data. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

现代海洋/大气资料同化方法的统一性及其应用进展

海洋／大气资料同化的理论基础是用数值模式作为动力学强迫对观测信息进行提炼，或者说，从包含观测误差(噪声)的空间分布不均匀的实测资料中依据动力系统自身的演化规律(动力学方程或模式)来确定海洋／大气系统状态的最优估计。本文对主要的现代海洋／大气资料同化方法，包括最优插值(()ptimal Interpolation，简称()Ⅰ)、变分方法(3—Dimensional Variational和4—Dimensional Variational，分别简称3DVAR和4DVAR)和滤波方法(Filtering)的原理、算法设计和实际应用进行系统地回顾，并对这些资料同化方法的优缺点进行分析和讨论。在滤波框架下，所有的现代资料同化方法都被统一了：()Ⅰ和3DVAR是不随时间变化的滤波器，4DVAR和卡曼滤波是线性滤波器，即非线性滤波的退化情形；而集合滤波能构建非线性的滤波器，因为集合在某种程度上体现了系统的非高斯信息。一个非线性滤波器的主要优点是能计算和应用随时间变化的各阶误差统计距，如误差协方差矩阵。将非线性滤波器计算的随时间变化的误差协方差矩阵引入到（）Ⅰ或4DVAR中，也许能实质性地改进这些传统方法。在实际应用中，方法的优劣可能取决于所选用的数值模式和可获得的计算资源，因此需针对不同的问题选取不同的资料同化方法。由于各种资料同化方法具有统一性，因此可建立测试系统来评价这些方法，从而对各种方法获得更深入的理解，改进现有的资料同化技术，并提高人们对海洋／大气环境的预测能力。     

强冲刷侵蚀岸段水深地形变化成因分析

海底地形变化是海洋动力变化的直接表征之一,强冲刷侵蚀岸段水深地形变化,主要是由于风暴潮等恶劣天气而形成的波浪扰动起海底表层物质成分,并由海流和风完成了对悬沙的运移所致.风暴潮引起海浪在海岸浅水处破碎,卷破波的水舌向下冲击时,在海底形成很大的旋涡,把泥沙掀动起来,在风流潮和的作用下,致使侵蚀冲刷快速的呈现,造成了水深地形的变化.一般情况下,水深地形变化较大地段由于泥沙的自然盈亏影响较小,人为的因素改变了自然平衡发生变化是重要因素.而冲刷侵蚀岸段的水深地形变化与海洋动力紧密相关,因此,研究分析海洋动力与水深地形变化的成因,对海岸工程及其防护至关重要.     

Velocity Statistics Inferred from the TOPEX/Poseidon-Jason-1 Tandem Mission Data

Using a parallel-track approach to estimate geostrophic surface velocities, an estimate of the statistics of ocean geostrophic surface currents and momentum stresses is provided on a 10 km along-track resolution from the first 49 repeat cycles (16 months) of the Jason-TOPEX/Poseidon tandem altimetric sea surface height (SSH) data. Results are compared with estimates obtained in a traditional way from along-track SSH data at crossover points and with in situ, Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) measurements obtained on board the VOS Oleander along a nominal path connecting Bermuda with the U.S. mainland. Agreements with the Oleander data are reasonable when simultaneous (in space and time) sampling is available. However, amplitudes of parallel-track geostrophic velocity variances are about 25% lower as compared to Oleander measurements which represent geostrophic and ageostrophic flow components. Estimates of velocity variances show clear signs of an anisotropic eddy field in the vicinity of all major current systems. At the same time estimates of Reynolds stresses and eddy momentum fluxes show a convergence of eddy momentum in all those regions, suggesting a forcing of the mean flow by the eddy field there.