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Synthesis and Assimilation Systems - Essential Adjuncts to the Global Ocean Observing SystemOcean assimilation systems synthesize diverse in situ and satellite data streams into four-dimensional state estimates by combining the various observations with the model. Assimilation is particularly important for the ocean where subsurface observations, even today, are sparse and intermittent compared with the scales needed to represent ocean variability and where satellites only sense the surface. Developments in assimilation and in the observing system have advanced our understanding and prediction of ocean variations at mesoscale and climate scales. Use of these systems for assessing the observing system helps identify the strengths of each observation type. Results indicate that the ocean remains under-sampled and that further improvements in the observing system are needed. Prospects for future advances lie in improved models and better estimates of error statistics for both models and observations. Future developments will be increasingly towards consistent analyses across components of the Earth system. However, even today ocean synthesis and assimilation systems are providing products that are useful for many applications and should be considered an integral part of the global ocean observing and information system.
Document ID
20100033200
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Rienecker, Michele M. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Balmaseda, Magdalena (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Reading, United Kingdom)
Awaji, Toshiyuki (Kyoto Univ. Kyoto, Japan)
Barnier, Bernard (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Grenoble, France)
Behringer, David (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Silver Spring, MD, United States)
Bell, Mike (Met Office (Meteorological Office) Devon, United Kingdom)
Bourassa, Mark (Florida State Univ. Tallahassee, FL, United States)
Brasseur, Pierre (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Grenoble, France)
Breivik, Lars-Anders (Norwegian Meteorological Inst. Oslo, Norway)
Carton, James (Maryland Univ. College Park, MD, United States)
Cummings, James (Naval Research Lab. Monterey, CA, United States)
Dombrowsky, Eric (MERCATOR OCEAN St Agne, France)
Fairall, Chris (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Boulder, CO, United States)
Ferry, Nicolas (MERCATOR OCEAN St Agne, France)
Forget, Gael (Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Gregg, Watson (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Griffies, Stephen M. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Princeton, NJ, United States)
Haines, Keith (Reading Univ. United Kingdom)
Harrison, D. Edward (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Seattle, WA, United States)
Heimbach, Patrick (Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Kamachi, Masafumi (Meteorological Research Inst. Tsukuba, Japan)
Kent, Elizabeth (National Oceanography Centre Southampton, United Kingdom)
Lee, Tony (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Le Traon, Pierre-Yves (Institut Francais de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer Plouzane, France)
Date Acquired
August 25, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2009
Subject Category
Oceanography
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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