Closing the Seasonal Ocean Surface Temperature Balance in the Eastern Tropical Oceans from Remote Sensing and Model Reanalyses

Author: Clayson, C. A.
Published: December 03, 2012.
Physical Description: 1 electronic document
Additional Creators: Roberts, J. Brent

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Summary

Residual forcing necessary to close the MLTB on seasonal time scales are largest in regions of strongest surface heat flux forcing. Identifying the dominant source of error - surface heat flux error, mixed layer depth estimation, ocean dynamical forcing - remains a challenge in the eastern tropical oceans where ocean processes are very active. Improved sub-surface observations are necessary to better constrain errors. 1. Mixed layer depth evolution is critical to the seasonal evolution of mixed layer temperatures. It determines the inertia of the mixed layer, and scales the sensitivity of the MLTB to errors in surface heat flux and ocean dynamical forcing. This role produces timing impacts for errors in SST prediction. 2. Errors in the MLTB are larger than the historical 10Wm-2 target accuracy. In some regions, a larger accuracy can be tolerated if the goal is to resolve the seasonal SST cycle.

Other Subject(s)

Oceanography

Collection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) Collection.

Note

Document ID: 20130001874.
M12-2309.
American Geophysical Union (AGU) 45th Annual Fall Meeting; 3-7 Dec. 2012; San Francisco, CA; United States.

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