Abstract
A regional ocean reanalysis system for the coastal waters of China and adjacent seas has been developed by the National Marine Data and Information Service (NMDIS). It produces a dataset package called CORA (China ocean reanalysis). The regional ocean model used is based on the Princeton Ocean Model with a generalized coordinate system (POMgcs). The model is parallelized by NMDIS with the addition of the wave breaking and tidal mixing processes into model parameterizations. Data assimilation is a sequential three-dimensional variational (3D-Var) scheme implemented within a multigrid framework. Observations include satellite remote sensing sea surface temperature (SST), altimetry sea level anomaly (SLA), and temperature/salinity profiles. The reanalysis fields of sea surface height, temperature, salinity, and currents begin with January 1986 and are currently updated every year.
Error statistics and error distributions of temperature, salinity and currents are presented as a primary evaluation of the reanalysis fields using sea level data from tidal gauges, temperature profiles, as well as the trajectories of Argo floats. Some case studies offer the opportunity to verify the evolution of certain local circulations. These evaluations show that the reanalysis data produced provide a good representation of the ocean processes and phenomena in the coastal waters of China and adjacent seas.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Carton, J. A., G. Chepurin, and X. Cao, 2000a: A simple ocean data assimilation analysis of the global upper ocean 1950–95. Part I: Methodology. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 30, 294–309.
Carton, J. A., G. Chepurin, and X. Cao, 2000b: A simple ocean data assimilation analysis of the global upper ocean 1950–95. Part II: Results. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 30, 311–326.
Carton, J. A., and B. S. Giese, 2008: A reanalysis of ocean climate using simple ocean data assimilation (SODA). Mon. Wea. Rev., 136, 2999–3017.
Chen, D.-X., Eds., 1993: Marine Atlas of Bohai Bay, Yellow Sea and East China Sea(Hydrology). China Ocean Press, Beijing, 423–426. (in Chinese)
Derber, J., and A. Rosati, 1989: A global oceanic data assimilation system. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 19, 1333–1347.
Ezer, T., and G. L. Mellor, 2004: A generalized coordinate ocean model and a comparison of the bottom boundary layer dynamics in terrain-following and in z-level grids. Ocean Modelling, 6, 379–403.
Han, G.-J., W. Li, Z.-J. He, K.-X. Liu, and J.-R. Ma, 2006: Assimilated tidal results of tide gauge and TOPEX/POSEIDON data over the China Seas using a variational adjoint approach with a nonlinear numerical model. Adv. Atmos. Sci., 23(3), 449–460, doi: 10.1007/s00376-006-0449-8.
He, Z.-J. G.-J. Han, W. Li, D. Li, X.-F. Zhang, X.-D. Wang, and X.-R. Wu, 2010: Experiments on assimilating of satellite data in the China seas and adjacent seas. Periodical of Ocean University of China, 40(9), 1–7. (in Chinese)
Li, W., 2008: Numerical study of the Kuroshio front to the East of Taiwan. Ph.D. dissertation, College of Physical and Environmental Oceanography, Ocean University of China, 115pp. (in Chinese)
Li, W., Y. Xie, Z.-J. He, G.-J. Han, K.-X. Liu, J.-R. Ma, and D. Li, 2008: Application of the multi-grid data assimilation scheme to the China Seas’ temperature forecast. J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 25, 2106–2116.
Lin, M.-H., C.-Z. Li, and G.-H. Fang, 1999: Dataset of Water Depth in Standard Longitude and Latitude and Datum Plane in the China Coastal Waters. Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Science, 155pp. (in Chinese)
Matsumoto, K., T. Takanezawa, and M. Ooe, 2000: Ocean tide models developed by assimilating TOPEX/POSEIDON altimeter data into hydrodynamical model: A global model and a regional model around Japan. J. Oceanogr., 56, 567–581.
Mellor, G., and A. F. Blumberg, 2004: Wave breaking and ocean surface layer thermal response. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 34, 693–698.
Mellor, G., S. Hakkinen, T. Ezer, and R. Patchen, 2002: A generalization of a sigma coordinate ocean model and an intercomparison of model vertical grids. Ocean Forecasting: Conceptual Basis and Applications, Pinard and Woods, Eds., Springer, 55–72.
Reynolds, R. W., T. M. Smith, C. Liu, D. B. Chelton, K. S. Casey, and M. G. Schlax, 2007: Daily highresolution blended analyses for sea surface temperature. J. Climate, 20(22), 5473–5496.
Stammer, D., and E. P. Chassignet, 2000: Ocean state estimation and prediction in support of oceanographic research. Oceanogr., 13, 51–56.
Suga, T., K. Hanawa, and Y. Toba, 1989: Subtropical mode water in the 137°E section. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 19, 1605–1618.
Talley, L., D. Stammer, and I. Fukumori, 2001: Towards a WOCE synthesis. Ocean Circulation and Climate, Siedler et al., Eds., Academic Press, 525–546.
Troccoli, A., and Coauthors, 2002: Salinity adjustments in the presence of temperature data assimilation. Mon. Wea. Rev., 130, 89–102.
Wong, A. P. S., G. C. Johnson, and W. B. Owens, 2003: Delayed-mode calibration of autonomous CTD profiling float salinity data by γ-S climatology. J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 20, 308–318.
Wunsch, C., and D. Stammer, 2003: Global ocean data assimilation and geoid measurements. Space Science Reviews, 108, 147–162.
Xie, Y., S. E. Koch, J. A. McGinley, S. Albers, and N. Wang, 2005: A sequential variational analysis approach for mesoscale data assimilation. 21st Conf. on Weather Analysis and Forecasting/17th Conf. on Numerical Weather Prediction, Washington, D. C., Amer. Meteor. Soc., 15B.7. [Available online at http://ams.confex.com/ams/pdfpapers/93468.pdf.]
Yan, C. X., J. Zhu, and G. Q. Zhou, 2004: The roles of vertical correlation of the background covariance and T-S relation in estimation temperature and salinity profiles from surface dynamic height. J. Geophys. Res., 109, doi: 10.1029/2003JC002224.
Zhu, J., and C. X. Yan, 2006: Nonlinear balance constraint in 3DVAR. Science in China(D), 49, 331–336.
Zhu, J., G. Q. Zhou, C. X. Yan, and X. B. You, 2006: A three-dimensional variational ocean data assimilation system: Scheme and preliminary results. Science in China(D), 49(12), 1212–1222.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Han, G., Li, W., Zhang, X. et al. A regional ocean reanalysis system for coastal waters of China and adjacent seas. Adv. Atmos. Sci. 28, 682–690 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-010-9184-2
Received:
Revised:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-010-9184-2