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Simulations of ARGO profilers and of surface floating objects: applications in MFSTEP
Climate Department, ENEA, Via Anguillarese 301 00060 Rome, Italy
Abstract. In this work we describe part of the activities performed in the MFSTEP project by means of numerical simulations of ARGO profilers and surface floating objects. Simulations of ARGO floats were used to define the optimal time cycling characteristics of the profilers to maximize independent observations of vertical profiles of temperature and salinity and to minimize the error on the estimate of the velocity at the parking depth of the profilers. Instead, the Mediterranean Forecasting System archive of Eulerian velocity field from 2000 to 2004 was used to build a related surface Lagrangian archive, systematically integrating numerical particles released and constrained to drift at surface. Such Lagrangian archive is then used to study the variability of the surface Lagrangian dispersion. Finally, as an example of a possible more realistic application, we estimated the interannual variability of the Lagrangian transport in two key areas of the Western Mediterranean also introducing an exponential decay in the particles concentration.
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Citation: Pizzigalli, C. and Rupolo, V.: Simulations of ARGO profilers and of surface floating objects: applications in MFSTEP, Ocean Sci. Discuss., 3, 1747-1790, 2006. Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager
