Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2016, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (2): 30-39.doi: 10.11978/2015052CSTR: 32234.14.2015052

• Marine Hydrography • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Application of scale-selective data assimilation method in ocean modeling: simulation of a strong warm eddy in Xisha

WANG Pinqiang1, 2, LI Yineng1, PENG Shiqiu1   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography (South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences),;Guangzhou 510301, China; 2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Received:2015-04-15 Revised:2015-09-23 Online:2016-02-29 Published:2016-02-29
  • Contact: PENG Shiqiu. E-mail: speng@scsio.ac.cn
  • Supported by:
    The Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China (MOST) (2011CB403505, 2014CB953904); The Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant XDA11010304); The National Natural Science Foundation of China (41176024, 41306013); Guangdong Marine’sdisaster emergency response technology research center (2012A032100004)

Abstract: Scale-selective data assimilation (SSDA), through considering multiscale features in both observational data and model variables during assimilation, can selectively adjust certain scales of motion while keeping other scales unchanged. To test the effectiveness of SSDA in ocean data assimilation, an exceptional anticyclonic eddy event in August 2010 over the sea area of the Xisha Islands (referred to as Xisha Warm Eddy) is chosen. In this study, we compared the effects of assimilating sea level anomaly (SLA) and its derived geostrophic currents. Geostrophic currents were assimilated in two ways, applying the SSDA or not. Results showed that assimilating SLA or geostrophic currents can both improve the simulation of Xisha Warm Eddy. On one hand, assimilating SLA improved the horizontal size of Xisha Warm Eddy since the velocity field followed the change of pressure field, permitting divergence of sea water. On the other hand, assimilating geostrophic currents improved the intensity of Xisha Warm Eddy because SSDA can adjust pressure field according to velocity field, which helped maintain the convergence of Xisha Warm Eddy. Simultaneously assimilating both geostrophic currents and SLA improved the simulation most significantly. Therefore, SSDA is necessary for assimilating geostrophic currents.

Key words: Xisha Warm Eddy, scale-selective data assimilation (SSDA), geostrophic current, satellite altimeter