8.5
High-Latitude Deep Water Formation From a Synthesis of Sea-Ice and Ocean Data
Dimitris Menemenlis, JPL, Pasadena, CA; and J. Zhang
A 50-year (1948-2000) integration of a quasi-global (80S-80N), coarse-resolution (2-deg horizontal grid-spacing, 23 vertical levels), coupled sea-ice, ocean-circulation model, constrained by hydrographic and passive microwave data, is used to quantify the formation of high-latitude bottom and intermediate waters. Sea-ice and ocean model parameters, for example, mixing coefficients, atmospheric and oceanic drag, and sea-ice strength, are constrained using a Green's function approach. Meteorological surface boundary conditions are from the NCEP (National Centers for Environmental Prediction) reanalysis, but with adjusted time-mean values. The resulting estimates of bottom and intermediate water formation are compared to CFC-11 data along key WOCE (World Ocean Circulation Experiment) sections.
Session 8, New Polar Observations and Applications: Assimilation
Thursday, 15 May 2003, 8:29 AM-9:29 AM
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