Subsurface analysis of mesoscale variability inferred from altimetry: Assimilation into ROMS by intermittent optimal interpolation


John L. Wilkin

Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences

Rutgers University




Altimeter sea surface height observations in the Leeuwin Current, Western Australia, and East Auckland Current, New Zealand, have been projected to subsurface temperature and salinity anomalies using statistical methods. These analyses were assimilated in ROMS using the intermittent optimal interpolation scheme of Dombrowsky and De Mey (JGR, 1992) to obtain hindcasts of mesoscale variability in these two boundary current regions. Qualitative features of variability, and quantitative estimates of hindcast skill, are presented.