Copernicus Marine Service Arctic MFC: Validation of near-surface drift

Validation based on data from drifting buoys

Validation of the Copernicus Marine Arctic MFC results for near-surface drift is performed using data from drifting buoys, which are compiled by the Copernicus Marine SST TAC. The drifters are equiped with a drogue which is centered at 15 meters beneath the surface. The purpose of the drogue is to obtain a measure of mixed layer currents in the upper ocean. Data are available with a temporal resolution of 3 hours. These data are converted to daily mean values to conform with the TOPAZ model results.

Starting with the validation for the 2017-05-18 bulletin, scatter plots for model vs. observed daily drift have been added. Color coding is used to indicate a separation between buoys: Each buoy has up to 17 results for daily drift in the Best Estimate validation, so the same color is used for each of the (up to) 17 points in the scatter plot that corresponds to this buoy. However, the number of colors used is limited to 20. If there are more buoys (which is generally the case for the Extended Domain), the colors are recycled (i.e. the same color is used for buoys no.s 1 and 21 etc.).

Buoy data are available from CERSAT-IFREMER in collaboration with Coriolis. Additional information about the data is available from The Global Drifter Program at NOAA.

Results by bulletin date
January 2024
01-04
01-11
01-18
01-25

February 2024
02-01
02-08
02-15
02-22
02-29

March 2024
03-07
03-14
03-21
03-28

January 2023
01-05
01-12
01-19
01-26

February 2023
02-02
02-09
02-16
02-23

March 2023
03-02
03-09
03-16
03-23
03-30

April 2023
04-06
04-13
04-20
04-27

May 2023
05-04
05-11
05-18
05-25

June 2023
06-01
06-08
06-15
06-22
06-29

July 2023
07-06
07-13
07-20
07-27

August 2023
08-03
08-10
08-17
08-24
08-31

September 2023
09-07
09-14
09-21
09-28

October 2023
10-05
10-12
10-19
10-26

November 2023
11-02
11-09
11-16
11-23
11-30

December 2023
12-07
12-14
12-21
12-28

January 2022
01-06
01-13
01-20
01-27

February 2022
02-03
02-10
02-17
02-24

March 2022
03-03
03-10
03-17
03-24
03-31

April 2022
04-07
04-14
04-21
04-28

May 2022
05-05
05-12
05-19
05-26

June 2022
06-02
06-09
06-16
06-23
06-30

July 2022
07-07
07-14
07-21
07-28

August 2022
08-04
08-11
08-18
08-25

September 2022
09-01
09-08
09-15
09-22
09-29

October 2022
10-06
10-13
10-20
10-27

November 2022
11-03
11-10
11-17
11-24

December 2022
12-01
12-08
12-15
12-22
12-29

January 2021
01-07
01-14
01-21
01-28

February 2021
02-04
02-11
02-18
02-25

March 2021
03-04
03-11
03-18
03-25

April 2021
04-01
04-08
04-15
04-22
04-29

May 2021
05-06
05-13
05-20
05-27

June 2021
06-03
06-10
06-17
06-24

July 2021
07-01
07-08
07-15
07-22
07-29

August 2021
08-05
08-12
08-19
08-26

September 2021
09-02
09-09
09-16
09-23
09-30

October 2021
10-07
10-14
10-21
10-28

November 2021
11-04
11-11
11-18
11-25

December 2021
12-02
12-09
12-16
12-23
12-30

January 2020
01-02
01-09
01-16
01-23
01-30

February 2020
02-06
02-13
02-20
02-27

March 2020
03-05
03-12
03-19
03-26

April 2020
04-02
04-09
04-16
04-23
04-30

May 2020
05-07
05-14
05-21
05-28

June 2020
06-04
06-11
06-18
06-25

July 2020
07-02
07-09
07-16
07-23
07-30

August 2020
08-06
08-13
08-20
08-27

September 2020
09-03
09-10
09-17
09-24

October 2020
10-01
10-08
10-15
10-22
10-29

November 2020
11-05
11-12
11-19
11-26

December 2020
12-03
12-10
12-17
12-24
12-31

January 2019
01-03
01-10
01-17
01-24
01-31

February 2019
02-07
02-14
02-21
02-28

March 2019
03-07
03-14
03-21
03-28

April 2019
04-04
04-11
04-18
04-25

May 2019
05-02
05-09
05-16
05-23
05-30

June 2019
06-06
06-13
06-20
06-27

July 2019
07-04
07-11
07-18
07-25

August 2019
08-01
08-08
08-15
08-22
08-29

September 2019
09-05
09-12
09-19
09-26

October 2019
10-03
10-10
10-17
10-24
10-31

November 2019
11-07
11-14
11-21
11-28

December 2019
12-05
12-12
12-19
12-26

January 2018
01-04
01-11
01-18
01-25

February 2018
02-01
02-08
02-15
02-22

March 2018
03-01
03-08
03-15
03-22
03-29

April 2018
04-05
04-12
04-19
04-26

May 2018
05-03
05-10
05-17
05-24
05-31

June 2018
06-07
06-14
06-21
06-28

July 2018
07-05
07-12
07-19
07-26

August 2018
08-02
08-09
08-16
08-23
08-30

September 2018
09-06
09-13
09-20
09-27

October 2018
10-04
10-11
10-18
10-25

November 2018
11-01
11-08
11-15
11-22
11-29

December 2018
12-06
12-13
12-20
12-27

January 2017
01-05
01-12
01-19
01-26

February 2017
02-02
02-09
02-16
02-23

March 2017
03-02
03-09
03-16
03-23
03-30

April 2017
04-06
04-13
04-20
04-27

May 2017
05-04
05-11
05-18
05-25

June 2017
06-01
06-08
06-15
06-22
06-29

July 2017
07-06
07-13
07-20
07-27

August 2017
08-03
08-10
08-17
08-24
08-31

September 2017
09-07
09-14
09-21
09-28

October 2017
10-05
10-12
10-19
10-26

November 2017
11-02
11-09
11-16
11-23
11-30

December 2017
12-07
12-14
12-21
12-28

January 2016
01-07
01-14
01-21
01-28

February 2016
02-04
02-11
02-18
02-25

March 2016
03-03
03-10
03-17
03-24
03-31

April 2016
04-07
04-14
04-21
04-28

May 2016
05-05
05-12
05-19
05-26

June 2016
06-02
06-09
06-16
06-23
06-30

July 2016
07-07
07-14
07-21
07-28

August 2016
08-04
08-11
08-18
08-25

September 2016
09-01
09-08
09-15
09-22
09-29

October 2016
10-06
10-13
10-20
10-27

November 2016
11-03
11-10
11-17
11-24

December 2016
12-01
12-08
12-15
12-22
12-29

January 2015
01-01
01-08
01-15
01-22
01-29

February 2015
02-05
02-12
02-19
02-26

March 2015
03-05
03-12
03-19
03-26

April 2015
04-02
04-09
04-16
04-23
04-30

May 2015
05-07
05-14
05-21
05-28

June 2015
06-04
06-11
06-18
06-25

July 2015
07-02
07-09
07-16
07-23
07-30

August 2015
08-06
08-13
08-20
08-27

September 2015
09-03
09-10
09-17
09-24

October 2015
10-01
10-08
10-15
10-22
10-29

November 2015
11-05
11-12
11-19
11-26

December 2015
12-03
12-10
12-17
12-24
12-31

January 2014
01-02
01-09
01-16
01-23
01-30

February 2014
02-06
02-13
02-20
02-27

March 2014
03-06
03-13
03-20
03-27

April 2014
04-03
04-10
04-17
04-24

May 2014
05-01
05-08
05-15
05-22
05-29

June 2014
06-05
06-12
06-19
06-26

July 2014
07-03
07-10
07-17
07-24
07-31

August 2014
08-07
08-14
08-21
08-28

September 2014
09-04
09-11
09-18
09-25

October 2014
10-02
10-09
10-16
10-23
10-30

November 2014
11-06
11-13
11-20
11-27

December 2014
12-04
12-11
12-18
12-25

January 2013
01-03
01-10
01-17
01-24
01-31

February 2013
02-07
02-14
02-21
02-28

March 2013
03-07
03-14
03-21
03-28

April 2013
04-04
04-11
04-18
04-25

May 2013
05-02
05-09
05-16
05-23
05-30

June 2013
06-06
06-13
06-20
06-27

July 2013
07-04
07-11
07-18
07-25

August 2013
08-01
08-08
08-15
08-22
08-29

September 2013
09-05
09-12
09-19
09-26

October 2013
10-03
10-10
10-17
10-24
10-31

November 2013
11-07
11-14
11-21
11-28

December 2013
12-05
12-12
12-19
12-26

January 2012
01-04
01-11
01-18
01-25

February 2012
02-01
02-08
02-15
02-22
02-29

March 2012
03-07
03-14
03-21
03-28

April 2012
04-04
04-11
04-18
04-25

May 2012
05-02
05-09
05-16
05-23
05-30

June 2012
06-06
06-07
06-14
06-21
06-28

July 2012
07-05
07-12
07-19
07-26

August 2012
08-02
08-09
08-16
08-23
08-30

September 2012
09-06
09-13
09-20
09-27

October 2012
10-04
10-11
10-18
10-25

November 2012
11-01
11-08
11-15
11-22
11-29

December 2012
12-06
12-13
12-20
12-27

December 2011
12-28

Regions

The ocean circulation model used in Copernicus Marine Arctic MFC covers the Arctic Ocean, the North Atlantic Ocean and adjacent ocean regions. The northern part is depicted in the figure below. Validation of sea surface temperature from model results is performed for three domains:

  • an extended domain indicated by the blue, green and red regions in the figure
  • the Nordic Seas, shown as the green region
  • the Barents Sea, depicted in red

ARC-MFC PHYS (TOPAZ)

The model results are produced with the TOPAZ ocean data assimilation model system. Presently, TOPAZ is run weekly with data assimillation one week prior to the bulletin date, followed by a one-week 100 member ensemble simulation ending on the bulletin date, and finally a 10 day deterministic forecast. TOPAZ was developed by the Nansen Center and is maintained jointly by the Nansen Center and MET Norway.

For the validation of near-surface drift, model results for ocean temperature at the 5 meter level are used. This is somewhat above the drift depth that is represented by the drifter data (15 meter level).

ARC-MFC PHYS (TOPAZ) results are available as Copernicus Marine product ARCTIC_ANALYSIS_FORECAST_PHYS_002_001_a. An archive of historical forecasts are available from a thredds server.



 
See Met Privacy