Use of ERS-1 scatterometer and Topex altimeter data in a nonlinear reduced gravity model of the northwestern Indian Ocean

Abstract

This paper describes the use of ERS-1 scatterometer winds and sea level from Topex altimeter in the simulations of oceanic circulation during the monsoon season by a nonlinear reduced gravity model of the northwestern Indian Ocean.

<span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:" times="" new="" roman";="" mso-fareast-font-family:"times="" roman";color:black;mso-ansi-language:en-in;="" mso-fareast-language:en-in;mso-bidi-language:hi"="" lang="EN-IN">Results have been presented for June and July 1993. In the first case, monthly means of ERS -1 scatterometer winds have been used for model forcing while in the second case the analysed winds provided by Florida State University (FSU) have been used. For both the cases, sea level provided by Topex altimeter has been used to initialise the model. The model generated sea level variability has been compared with altimeter sea level variability for the months of June and July. The model results with scatterometer wind forcing are in better agreement with altimeter data of the same month and produce additional eddy near Socotra island which is not observed in the case of FSU wind forcing. Thus satellite data have significant use in the simulation oceanic <span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:" times="" new="" roman";mso-fareast-font-family:hiddenhorzocr;="" color:black;mso-ansi-language:en-in;mso-fareast-language:en-in;mso-bidi-language:="" hi"="" lang="EN-IN">circulation.</span></span>