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Impact of global ocean model resolution on sea-level variability with emphasis on interannual time scales

Impact of global ocean model resolution on sea-level variability with emphasis on interannual time scales
Impact of global ocean model resolution on sea-level variability with emphasis on interannual time scales
Four global ocean/sea-ice simulations driven by the same realistic 47-year daily atmospheric forcing were performed by the DRAKKAR group at 2°, 1°, ½°, and ¼° resolutions. Simulated mean sea-surface heights (MSSH) and sea-level anomalies (SLA) are collocated over the period 1993–2004 onto the AVISO dataset. MSSH fields are compared with an inverse estimate. SLA datasets are filtered and compared over various time and space scales with AVISO regarding three characteristics: SLA standard deviations, spatial correlations between SLA variability maps, and temporal correlations between observed and simulated band-passed filtered local SLA timeseries. Beyond the 2°-1° transition whose benefits are moderate, further increases in resolution and associated changes in subgrid scale parameterizations simultaneously induce (i) strong increases in SLA standard deviations, (ii) strong improvements in the spatial distribution of SLA variability, and (iii) slight decreases in temporal correlations between observed and simulation SLA timeseries. These 3 effects are not only clear on mesoscale (14–180 days) and quasi-annual (5–18 months) fluctuations, but also on the slower (interannual), large-scale variability ultimately involved in ocean-atmosphere coupled processes. Most SLA characteristics are monotonically affected by successive resolution increases, but irregularly and with a strong dependence on frequency and latitude. Benefits of enhanced resolution are greatest in the 1°-½° and ½°-¼° transitions, in the 14–180 day range, and within eddy-active mid- and high-latitude regions. In the real ocean, most eddy-active areas are characterized by a strong SLA variability at all timescales considered here; this localized, broad-banded temporal variability is only captured at ¼° resolution.
1812-0792
269-284
Penduff, T.
acc9246c-9cec-4909-814f-ec3eefa7f11d
Juza, M.
833a8399-becb-4710-b51a-c3b4ac337212
Brodeau, L.
c80ff555-960f-45ab-a3fa-e6c8e27aa48a
Smith, G.C.
0db2e77b-2280-49f8-86eb-45941f5f78f3
Barnier, B.
0179fa7c-ed1b-45df-9e81-5a959268d99b
Molines, J.-M.
1f4c8833-7bd7-4298-b259-1a0712283734
Treguier, A.-M.
b0728266-1fde-47ad-8962-c56a2558236e
Madec, G.
7e2ec04b-896a-4861-b2d0-b74f39d748c2
Penduff, T.
acc9246c-9cec-4909-814f-ec3eefa7f11d
Juza, M.
833a8399-becb-4710-b51a-c3b4ac337212
Brodeau, L.
c80ff555-960f-45ab-a3fa-e6c8e27aa48a
Smith, G.C.
0db2e77b-2280-49f8-86eb-45941f5f78f3
Barnier, B.
0179fa7c-ed1b-45df-9e81-5a959268d99b
Molines, J.-M.
1f4c8833-7bd7-4298-b259-1a0712283734
Treguier, A.-M.
b0728266-1fde-47ad-8962-c56a2558236e
Madec, G.
7e2ec04b-896a-4861-b2d0-b74f39d748c2

Penduff, T., Juza, M., Brodeau, L., Smith, G.C., Barnier, B., Molines, J.-M., Treguier, A.-M. and Madec, G. (2010) Impact of global ocean model resolution on sea-level variability with emphasis on interannual time scales. Ocean Science, 6 (1), 269-284. (doi:10.5194/os-6-269-2010).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Four global ocean/sea-ice simulations driven by the same realistic 47-year daily atmospheric forcing were performed by the DRAKKAR group at 2°, 1°, ½°, and ¼° resolutions. Simulated mean sea-surface heights (MSSH) and sea-level anomalies (SLA) are collocated over the period 1993–2004 onto the AVISO dataset. MSSH fields are compared with an inverse estimate. SLA datasets are filtered and compared over various time and space scales with AVISO regarding three characteristics: SLA standard deviations, spatial correlations between SLA variability maps, and temporal correlations between observed and simulated band-passed filtered local SLA timeseries. Beyond the 2°-1° transition whose benefits are moderate, further increases in resolution and associated changes in subgrid scale parameterizations simultaneously induce (i) strong increases in SLA standard deviations, (ii) strong improvements in the spatial distribution of SLA variability, and (iii) slight decreases in temporal correlations between observed and simulation SLA timeseries. These 3 effects are not only clear on mesoscale (14–180 days) and quasi-annual (5–18 months) fluctuations, but also on the slower (interannual), large-scale variability ultimately involved in ocean-atmosphere coupled processes. Most SLA characteristics are monotonically affected by successive resolution increases, but irregularly and with a strong dependence on frequency and latitude. Benefits of enhanced resolution are greatest in the 1°-½° and ½°-¼° transitions, in the 14–180 day range, and within eddy-active mid- and high-latitude regions. In the real ocean, most eddy-active areas are characterized by a strong SLA variability at all timescales considered here; this localized, broad-banded temporal variability is only captured at ¼° resolution.

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Published date: 2010
Organisations: Marine Systems Modelling

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Local EPrints ID: 174897
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/174897
ISSN: 1812-0792
PURE UUID: ec19fff8-f77f-4820-8545-550e7a464500

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Date deposited: 17 Feb 2011 16:45
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:35

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Contributors

Author: T. Penduff
Author: M. Juza
Author: L. Brodeau
Author: G.C. Smith
Author: B. Barnier
Author: J.-M. Molines
Author: A.-M. Treguier
Author: G. Madec

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