Modeling of the World Ocean circulation with the four-dimensional assimilation of temperature and salinity fields

Abstract

The problem of modeling the World Ocean circulation with the four-dimensional assimilation of temperature and salinity fields is considered. A mathematical model of the ocean general circulation and a numerical algorithm for its solution are formulated. The model equations are written in a σ coordinate system on the sphere with the North Pole shifted to the point of the continent (60° E, 60.5° N). The model has a flexible numerical structure and consists of two parts: the forward prognostic model and its adjoint analog. The numerical algorithm for solving the forward and adjoint problems is based on the method of multicomponent splitting. This method includes splitting with respect to physical processes and geometric coordinates. Three series of numerical experiments are performed: (1) a test solution to the problem of the four-dimensional variational assimilation, (2) modeling of the World Ocean circulation with the variational assimilation of climatic temperature and salinity fields, and (3) modeling of the World Ocean circulation with the variational assimilation of climatic temperature and salinity fields and the data of Argo buoys. The results of calculations demonstrate the expediency of using the model of World Ocean circulation with the procedure of assimilating observational data for a description of the general structure of thermohaline fields.