Abstract
We examine the equilibrated and time-evolving adjoint solutions of an ocean general circulation model. Adjoint models calculate the sensitivity of a diagnostic, (here, the strength of the meridional overturning) to all forcing fields in a single integration. The time evolution of the sensitivity patterns demonstrates the validity of the adjoint modeling approach over climatological time scales in coarse-resolution ocean models. Our objective is to identify the principle adjustment mechanisms through which the meridional overturning strength adapts to perturbations in wind and buoyancy forcing. The adjoint approach is shown to be a valuable alternative to traditional perturbation methods in highlighting the processes and time scales important to ocean and climate modeling.
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We wish to thank Peter Stone for his scientific support of this work and for his role as thesis supervisor for this project. The research presented here was partially supported with funds from the US Department of Energy. We are indebted to two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments.
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Bugnion, V., Hill, C. Equilibration mechanisms in an adjoint ocean general circulation model. Ocean Dynamics 56, 51–61 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10236-005-0052-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10236-005-0052-z