USA as Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Robert W Helber

Gregg Arthur Jacobs

Charlie N Barron

Scott R Smith

Michael R Carnes

System and method for correcting the vertical structure of the ocean temperature and salinity can enable the use of sea surface height (SSH) measurements to correct ocean forecast models. In the present embodiment, three relations that can be precomputed are exploited: (1) the relation between temperature and salinity throughout a water column, (2) the relation between temperature/salinity and geopotential, and (3) the relation between geopotential and SSH. The relations are stored in a form that allows efficient application through a cross-correlation matrix.

System and method for correcting a model-derived vertical structure of ocean temperature and ocean salinity based on sea surface height observations

System and method for correcting the vertical structure of the ocean temperature and salinity based on velocity observations. Three relations that can be precomputed are exploited: (1) the relation between temperature and salinity throughout a water column, (2) the relation between temperature/salinity and geopotential, and (3) the relation between geopotential and velocity. The relations are stored in a form that allows efficient application through a cross-correlation matrix.

System and method for correcting a model-derived vertical structure of ocean temperature and ocean salinity based on velocity observations

System and method for maintaining the observed vertical structure of ocean temperature and salinity in data assimilation systems that otherwise would produce overly smoothed ocean vertical structure. The present embodiment uses a multi-layer least squares minimization technique in which the ocean is split into layers with fundamentally different vertical gradients, and the dynamic ocean layers are constrained by the observed vertical gradients of the layer itself.

Automated system and method for vertical gradient correction

A method for providing a more accurate synthetic profiles of temperature, salinity and sound speed of the ocean over an area of interest is provided by using a value of the mixed layer depth in addition to values of surface temperature and surface height in an ocean modeling system such as the Modular Ocean Data Assimilation System (MODAS) system developed for the U.S. Navy. The method of the present invention compares the predicted or observed mixed layer depth for the area of interest, for example, as obtained from remote sensing or upper ocean modeling, to a mixed layer depth estimated from an initial synthetic profile, and determines which is deeper, termed the reference mixed layer depth. The method then derives a modified temperature and salinity synthetic profile by setting the temperature and salinity equal to the surface values at depths less than or equal to the reference mixed layer depth and using an algorithm to estimate temperature and salinity at depths below the reference mixed layer depth.

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Slidell, LA, United States of America

Robert W Helber