How well does a 1/4° global circulation model simulate large‐scale oceanic observations?

Stammer, Detlef; Tokmakian, Robin; Semtner, Albert J.; Wunsch, Carl

doi:10.1029/96jc01754

Cited by 203 publications

(150 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Comparisons to TOPEX/Poseidon satellite altimetry indicate that the model reproduces all the major features of upper ocean sea surface height variability, but on the global average, only captures 35% of the magnitude of this variability. This finding is consistent with the findings of Stammer et al [1996], who considered the Parallel Ocean Climate Model at 1/4°reso-lution. Ten-day average output of the physical model forces the biogeochemical model.…”

Section: B22 Mit Modelsupporting

confidence: 83%

Multiple constraints on regional CO₂ flux variations over land and oceans

Peylin

Bousquet

Quéré

et al. 2005

Global Biogeochemical Cycles

172

177

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[1] To increase our understanding of the carbon cycle, we compare regional estimates of CO 2 flux variability for 1980-1998 from atmospheric CO 2 inversions and from process-based models of the land (SLAVE and LPJ) and ocean (OPA and MIT). Over the land, the phase and amplitude of the different estimates agree well, especially at continental scale. Flux variations are predominantly controlled by El Niño events, with the exception of the post-Pinatubo period of the early 1990s. Differences between the two land models result mainly from the response of heterotrophic respiration to precipitation and temperature. The ''Lloyd and Taylor'' formulation of LPJ [Lloyd and Taylor, 1994] agrees better with the inverse estimates. Over the ocean, inversion and model results agree only in the equatorial Pacific and partly in the austral ocean. In the austral ocean, an increased CO 2 sink is present in the inversion and OPA model, and results from increased stratification of the ocean. In the northern oceans, the inversions estimate large flux variations in line with time-series observations of the subtropical Atlantic, but not supported by the two model estimates, thus suggesting that the CO 2 variability from high-latitude oceans needs further investigation.

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Section: B22 Mit Modelsupporting

confidence: 83%

Multiple constraints on regional CO₂ flux variations over land and oceans

Peylin

Bousquet

Quéré

et al. 2005

Global Biogeochemical Cycles

172

177

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“…In eddy-resolving general circulation models (Stammer et al, 1994;Lutjeharms and Webb, 1995) the retroflection of the mean Agulhas Current is reasonably simulated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…For example, in the POCM model (Stammer et al, 1994), the Agulhas has a realistic transport of 66 Sv and it indeed retroflects near 20 • E (De Ruijter et al, 1999). In these models, several other factors contribute to the retroflection, in particular vortex stretching due to the deformation of isopycnals .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the Physics of the Agulhas Current: Steady Retroflection Regimes

Dijkstra¹,

Ruijter²

2001

J. Phys. Oceanogr.

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From previous model studies, it has become clear that several physical mechanisms may be at work in the retroflection of the Agulhas current. Here, a systematic study of steady barotropic flows connecting the Indian Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean in several idealized set-ups is performed. By solving directly for the steady circulation with continuation methods, the connection between different retroflection regimes can be monitored as external conditions, such as the wind forcing, bottom topography as well as parameters, for example the lateral friction and layer depth, are changed. To distinguish the different steady retroflecting flows, an objective measure of the degree of retroflection, a retroflection index R, is introduced. By monitoring R along a branch of steady solutions, using the horizontal friction as control parameter, several steady retroflecting regimes are found. At large friction there exist stable steady states with viscously dominated retroflection. When friction is decreased, inertial effects become more dominant and eventually unstable steady states with strong retroflection characteristics exist. Within this framework, different results from earlier studies can be reconciled.

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“…At high latitudes (above 62ø), the crossover adjustment was computed in 30 ø x 30 ø blocks with the same error model. Table 1 [Stammer et. al., 1996] were removed from the adjusted sea surface heights.…”

Section: Procedures Of Mean Sea Surface Height Computationmentioning

confidence: 99%