........ published in NEWSLETTER # 52
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........ published in NEWSLETTER # 52
DATA ASSIMILATION: TOOLS FOR MODELLING THE OCEAN IN A GLOBAL CHANGE PERSPECTIVE
by Professor P. Brasseur and Professor J. Nihoul, University, Liege (Belgium)
This book (NATO ASI SERIES I19) addresses a series of extremely timely topics in relation to the combination of oceanic models and observations.
Data assimilation is presently considered a key component of numerical ocean modelling and data acquisition strategies. The basic concept of data assimilation is to combine real observations (generally sparse and noisy) via estimation theory (involving statistics) with dynamical models. Related methodologies exist in meteorology, in geophysics and in engineering. There are also prospects for the exploitation of data assimilation in biological and chemical oceanography, which is of growing importance for physical oceanography. These techniques are now considered essential in the understanding of the role played by the ocean in a Global Change perspective.
Methodologies for oceanic data assimilation benefit from the extended theoretical and operational experience gained in atmospheric science, but several peculiarities make the ocean data assimilation issues unique and novel.
In this book, several data assimilation problems are discussed, with special emphasis on: algorithms for assimilation, relevance of current methods for the assimilation of biogeochemical data, strategy for model development and design of observational array for assimilation.
Reference books: C185, C186, C190, C243, C284, C318, I4, I10, I11, I15, I19