TOWARD ALTIMETRIC DATA ASSIMILATION IN A TROPICAL ATLANTIC MODEL

We present three types of experiments of sequential assimilation of altimetric data in a linear tropical Atlantic model, using an analysis technique we developed. In the first experiments we assimilate dynamic height fields calculated from simulated data in order to study the impacts of assimilations. In the second ones we assimilate dynamic height anomaly fields calculated from simulated data, and finally, in the third ones we use sea level anomaly fields obtained from altimetric data from Geosat. Perturbations are observed in the eastern part of the basin, due to Kelvin waves artificially generated in the west equatorial basin. However, we show that altimetric data may be very useful for improving model simulations in the tropics when appropriate assimilation techniques are used.