An optimal interpolation scheme for the assimilation of spectral wave data

• Published in: Journal of Geophysical Research, Washington, DC Washington, DC, 1997-07, Vol.102 (C7), p.15823-15836
• Main Authors: Hasselmann, S., Lionello, P., Hasselmann, K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Marine; Physics of the oceans; Surface waves, tides and sea level. Seiches
• ISSN: 0148-0227; 2169-9275; 2156-2202; 2169-9291
• DOI: 10.1029/96JC03453

An optimal interpolation scheme for assimilating two‐dimensional wave spectra is presented which is based on a decomposition of the spectrum into principal wave systems. Each wave system is represented by three characteristic parameters: significant wave height, mean propagation direction, and mean frequency. The spectrum is thereby reduced to a manageable number of parameters. From the correction of the wind‐sea system a correction of the local wind is derived. A 2‐month test of the system using wave spectra retrieved from ERS 1 synthetic aperture radar wave mode data in the Atlantic yielded consistent corrections of winds and waves. However, the corrected wind data alone, although valuable in identifying wind errors in critical high wind speed regions, are too sparsely distributed in space and time to be used in isolation and need to be combined with other data in an atmospheric data assimilation scheme. This emphasizes the need for the development of combined wind and wave data assimilation schemes for the optimal use of satellite wind and wave data.