{"title":"Global ocean surface and subsurface temperature forecast skill over subseasonal to seasonal timescales","authors":"Grant A. Smith, Claire M. Spillman","doi":"10.1071/es23020","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Subseasonal to seasonal forecasts of ocean temperatures, including extreme events such as marine heatwaves, have demonstrated utility in informing operational decision-making by marine end users and managing climate risk. Verification is critical for effective communication and uptake of forecast information, together with understanding ocean temperature predictability. The forecast skill of surface and subsurface ocean temperature forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology’s new ACCESS-S2 seasonal prediction system are assessed here over an extended 38-year hindcast period, from 2 weeks to 6 months into the future. Forecasts of sea surface temperature (SST), heat content down to 300 m (HC300), bottom temperatures on continental shelves, and mixed layer depth are compared to both satellite observations and ocean reanalyses for the globe and the Australian region, using a variety of skill metrics. ACCESS-S2 demonstrates increased SST skill over its predecessor ACCESS-S1 at subseasonal timescales for all variables assessed. Heat content skill is particularly high in the tropics but reduced in subtropical regions especially when compared to persistence. Forecast skill for ocean temperature is higher in the austral summer months than winter at lead times up to 2 months in the Western Pacific region. Mixed layer depth is poorly predicted at all lead times, with only limited areas of skill around Australia and in the south-west Pacific region. Probability of exceedance forecasts for the 90th percentile as an indicator for marine heatwave conditions, shows adequate skill for SST, HC300 and bottom temperatures, especially near shelf regions at shorter lead times. This work will underpin the future development of an operational marine heatwave forecast service, which will provide early warning of these events and thus valuable preparation windows for marine stakeholders.</p>","PeriodicalId":55419,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Southern Hemisphere Earth Systems Science","volume":"266 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6000,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Southern Hemisphere Earth Systems Science","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1071/es23020","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"Earth and Planetary Sciences","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Subseasonal to seasonal forecasts of ocean temperatures, including extreme events such as marine heatwaves, have demonstrated utility in informing operational decision-making by marine end users and managing climate risk. Verification is critical for effective communication and uptake of forecast information, together with understanding ocean temperature predictability. The forecast skill of surface and subsurface ocean temperature forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology’s new ACCESS-S2 seasonal prediction system are assessed here over an extended 38-year hindcast period, from 2 weeks to 6 months into the future. Forecasts of sea surface temperature (SST), heat content down to 300 m (HC300), bottom temperatures on continental shelves, and mixed layer depth are compared to both satellite observations and ocean reanalyses for the globe and the Australian region, using a variety of skill metrics. ACCESS-S2 demonstrates increased SST skill over its predecessor ACCESS-S1 at subseasonal timescales for all variables assessed. Heat content skill is particularly high in the tropics but reduced in subtropical regions especially when compared to persistence. Forecast skill for ocean temperature is higher in the austral summer months than winter at lead times up to 2 months in the Western Pacific region. Mixed layer depth is poorly predicted at all lead times, with only limited areas of skill around Australia and in the south-west Pacific region. Probability of exceedance forecasts for the 90th percentile as an indicator for marine heatwave conditions, shows adequate skill for SST, HC300 and bottom temperatures, especially near shelf regions at shorter lead times. This work will underpin the future development of an operational marine heatwave forecast service, which will provide early warning of these events and thus valuable preparation windows for marine stakeholders.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Southern Hemisphere Earth Systems Science (JSHESS) publishes broad areas of research with a distinct emphasis on the Southern Hemisphere. The scope of the Journal encompasses the study of the mean state, variability and change of the atmosphere, oceans, and land surface, including the cryosphere, from hemispheric to regional scales.
general circulation of the atmosphere and oceans,
climate change and variability ,
climate impacts,
climate modelling ,
past change in the climate system including palaeoclimate variability,
atmospheric dynamics,
synoptic meteorology,
mesoscale meteorology and severe weather,
tropical meteorology,
observation systems,
remote sensing of atmospheric, oceanic and land surface processes,
weather, climate and ocean prediction,
atmospheric and oceanic composition and chemistry,
physical oceanography,
air‐sea interactions,
coastal zone processes,
hydrology,
cryosphere‐atmosphere interactions,
land surface‐atmosphere interactions,
space weather, including impacts and mitigation on technology,
ionospheric, magnetospheric, auroral and space physics,
data assimilation applied to the above subject areas .
Authors are encouraged to contact the Editor for specific advice on whether the subject matter of a proposed submission is appropriate for the Journal of Southern Hemisphere Earth Systems Science.