Operational multivariate ocean data assimilation

Abstract A fully three‐dimensional, multivariate, optimum‐interpolation ocean data assimilation system has been developed that produces simultaneous analyses of temperature, salinity, geopotential and vector velocity. The system is run in real‐time, and can be executed as a stand‐alone analysis or cycled with an ocean forecast model in a sequential incremental update cycle. Additional capabilities have been built into the system, including flow‐dependent background‐error correlations and background‐error variances that vary in space and evolve from one analysis cycle to the next. The ocean data types assimilated include: remotely sensed sea surface temperature, sea surface height, and sea‐ice concentration;…