Using ARGO, GRACE and altimetry data to assess the quasi stationary North Atlantic circulation

We analyse the North Atlantic circulation by combining data from ARGO profiling buoys and satellite altimetry measurements into an inverse finite-element ocean circulation model. The model solution is consistent with ocean dynamics and approximate conservation of temperature and salinity. The ocean circulation is analysed separately for the years 2005 and 2006. Temperature and salinity fields found as solution are close to ARGO data and correspond to a large-scale ocean circulation with a surface elevation close to the altimeter measurements. Numerical experiments carried out with and without use of the altimetric data are discussed. Including altimetry is shown to improve the model solutions, in particular, producing more realistic heat transports. The analysed temperature and salinity fields that minimize the model/data misfit are discussed. It is found that both types of observations are to a large extent complementary to each other.