Simulation of the spatiotemporal variability of the World Ocean sea surface hight by the INM climate models

Abstract

The results of simulations of the World Ocean sea surface hight (SSH) in by various versions of the Climate Model of the Institute of Numerical Mathematics, Russian Academy of Sciences, are compared with the CNES-CLS09 fields of the mean dynamic topography (deviation of the ocean level from the geoid). Three models with different ocean blocks are considered which slightly differ in numerical schemes and have various horizontal spatial resolution, i.e., the INMCM4 model, which participated in the Climate Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP Phase 5, resolution of 1° × 1/2°); the INMCM5 model, which participates in the next project, CMIP6 (resolution of 1/2° × 1/4°); and the advanced INMCM-ER eddy-resolving model (resolution of 1/6° × 1/8°). It is shown that an increase in the spatial resolution improves the reproduction of ocean currents (with Agulhas and Kuroshio currents as examples) and their variability. A probable cause of relatively high errors in the reproduction of the SSH of Southern and Indian oceans is discussed.