Evaluation of multi-model current data in the East/Japan Sea

Abstract

Eddy resolving numerical model data from ocean forcasting/hindcasting systems are being extensively used to resolve mesoscale variabilities such as mesoscale eddies and fronts. In this paper, quantitative evaluations of four eddy resolving ocean models including HYCOM, OFES, ECCO2 and FRA-JCOPE2 are conducted in the East/Japan Sea. Regions of main circulation systems, including the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC), East Korea Warm Current (EKWC) and Subpolar Front Current (SPFC), are especially concerned. Using the quality-controlled 6-hourly Drifter interpolation data provided by NOAA, the point and field correlation coefficients are respectively calculated to evaluate the correlation between observed data and model data. Results show that the HYCOM forecast data and OFES hindcast data offer a better stimulation of the main current system in the East/Japan Sea, compared with the ECCO2 and FRA-JCOPE2 data, whose point and field averaged coefficients are both over 0.7. The conclusion is supported by the Taylor diagram, which indicates that HYCOM data has the closest distance to Drifter data. A comparation of East Sea Real-time Observation Buoy (ESROB) and EC1 mooring data with model data is undertaken to support the evaluation result by analysing the variation trend of model and observation time series on the fixed locations.