Abstract
The aim of this work is to test the performance of the MITgcm hydrodynamic model setup for the Arctic Ocean which is installed and runs in Resource Center “Computer Center of the St. Petersburg State University”. The setup is created in the framework of the ECCO2 project that aims to simulate global high-resolution fields of oceanographic characteristics with linear approximation to oceanographic observations. Satellite data are used to validate several oceanographic features simulated by the model: the sea ice extent and concentration, sea level and sea surface temperature. The model is able to successfully reproduce spatial and temporal variability of sea ice characteristics and give adequate estimates of seasonal variability and trend of the sea ice extent in the Arctic Ocean. Simulation of sea surface height anomalies associated with mass change is satisfactory for the Arctic Ocean regions located away from the North Pole, particularly for the Barents Sea. Simulation of sea surface temperature demonstrates good results for both interannual variability and trend. Comparison of the satellite- and model-derived data proves that the model reproduces the above mentioned oceanographic features reasonably well. Therefore, this model may be used in further studies different scientific and practical problems of the Arctic Ocean.
