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Verification of a Western Pacific Circulation Model Using Global Drifter Data

The marine currents around the Pacific Northwest are researched by lots of scholars. The methods of the on-site observation, such as the shipping measurements and data buoys, were applied by researcher in the past. However, it is difficult to get comprehensive information on space by early methods, and it is often limited by the manpower and funding. With computer technology advances, numerical models get improving the accuracy and resolution. Therefore, development of the numerical models also becomes one of the methods to understand the ocean.
There are many current models and large databases which are developed. However, few studies combine the two. Therefore, this study adopts the simulated results of POLCOMS (Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory Coastal-Ocean Modeling System) in 2002 near the northwest Pacific (9.9¢X N ~ 41.9¢X N, 104.9¢X E ~ 139.9¢X E) to analyze some situations. The result can be compared with the measured data, and test the model.
In order to evaluate the accuracy of the results of the model, the simulated tracks can be calculated by the result of the model and the initial location of the measured data. However, the resolutions of time and space are only one day and 7.5 degree. Hence, the methods of linear interpolation and bilinear interpolation are applied to interpolate the model result in the time dimension and space dimension. By using the latitude and longitude of the initial points, the azimuth, and the geographic distance, the simulated tracks can be calculated. Therefore, the results of POLCOMS can be confirmed by global drifter data from NOAA/AOML.
According to the results of evaluating, the simulation trends of the seasons are similar to measured data. It can prove that this model has a certain degree of accuracy. However, simulation and the measured data can not be completely similar when abnormal weather phenomenon occurs. It is because the model was driven by the average wind field. There are suggestions to make the model complete by adding the weather information during the periods of the typhoons. Besides, the model can simulate the temperature and salinity of the ocean. Increasing the comparison of them will make the model integrated in the future, and obtain more correct information of the flow fields around the Pacific Northwest.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:NSYSU/oai:NSYSU:etd-0829108-121742
Date29 August 2008
CreatorsYu, Sing-ru
ContributorsRuo-Shan Tseng, Jia-shun Yu, Yueh-chuan Hsu
PublisherNSYSU
Source SetsNSYSU Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Archive
LanguageCholon
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typetext
Formatapplication/pdf
Sourcehttp://etd.lib.nsysu.edu.tw/ETD-db/ETD-search/view_etd?URN=etd-0829108-121742
Rightswithheld, Copyright information available at source archive

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