Articles | Volume 5-opsr
https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-5-opsr-16-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-5-opsr-16-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
02 Jun 2025
| OPSR | Chapter 6.2
| 02 Jun 2025 | OPSR | Chapter 6.2
A description of validation processes and techniques for ocean forecasting
Marcos Garcia Sotillo
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Nologin Oceanic Weather Systems, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Marie Drevillon
Mercator Ocean International, Toulouse, France
Fabrice Hernandez
Laboratoire d'Études en Géophysique et Océanographie Spatiales (LEGOS), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) et Université de Toulouse, CNRS, CNES, Toulouse, France
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Liying Wan, Marcos Garcia Sotillo, Mike Bell, Yann Drillet, Roland Aznar, and Stefania Ciliberti
State Planet, 5-opsr, 15, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-5-opsr-15-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-5-opsr-15-2025, 2025
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Operating the ocean value chain requires the implementation of steps that must work systematically and automatically to generate ocean predictions and deliver this information. The paper illustrates the main challenges foreseen by operational chains in integrating complex numerical frameworks from the global to coastal scale and discusses existing tools that facilitate orchestration, including examples of existing systems and their capacity to provide high-quality and timely ocean forecasts.
Fabrice Hernandez, Marcos Garcia Sotillo, and Angélique Melet
State Planet, 5-opsr, 17, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-5-opsr-17-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-5-opsr-17-2025, 2025
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An historical review over the last 3 decades on intercomparison projects of ocean numerical reanalysis or forecast is first proposed. From this, main issues and lessons learned are discussed in order to propose an overview of best practices and key considerations to facilitate intercomparison activities in operational oceanography.
Manuel García-León, José María García-Valdecasas, Lotfi Aouf, Alice Dalphinet, Juan Asensio, Stefania Angela Ciliberti, Breogán Gómez, Víctor Aquino, Roland Aznar, and Marcos Sotillo
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-657, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-657, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Ocean Science (OS).
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Accurate short-term wave forecasts are key for coastal activities. These forecasts rely on wind and currents as forcing, which in this work were both enhanced using neural networks (NNs) trained with satellite and radar data. Tested at three European sites, the NN-corrected winds were 35 % more accurate, and currents also improved. This led to improved IBI wave model predictions of wave height and period by 10 % and 17 %, respectively; even correcting under extreme events.
Álvaro de Pascual Collar, Roland Aznar, Bruno Levier, and Marcos García Sotillo
State Planet, 4-osr8, 5, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-4-osr8-5-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-4-osr8-5-2024, 2024
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The Iberia–Biscay–Ireland region in the North Atlantic has diverse ocean currents impacting upper and deeper layers. These currents are vital for heat transport, species dispersion, and sediment and pollutant movement. Monitoring them is crucial for informed decision-making in ocean-related activities, including the blue economy sector. This study introduces an indicator to track these currents, covering main ones like the Azores, Canary, Portugal, and poleward slope currents.
Álvaro de Pascual-Collar, Roland Aznar, Bruno Levier, and Marcos García-Sotillo
State Planet, 1-osr7, 9, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-1-osr7-9-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-1-osr7-9-2023, 2023
Short summary
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The article comprises the analysis of the ocean heat content in the northeastern Atlantic Iberian–Biscay–Ireland (IBI) region. The variability of ocean heat content is studied, and results are linked with the variability of the main water masses found in the region. Results show how the coupled interannual variability of water masses accounts for an important part of the total ocean heat content variability in the region.
Stefania A. Ciliberti, Enrique Alvarez Fanjul, Jay Pearlman, Kirsten Wilmer-Becker, Pierre Bahurel, Fabrice Ardhuin, Alain Arnaud, Mike Bell, Segolene Berthou, Laurent Bertino, Arthur Capet, Eric Chassignet, Stefano Ciavatta, Mauro Cirano, Emanuela Clementi, Gianpiero Cossarini, Gianpaolo Coro, Stuart Corney, Fraser Davidson, Marie Drevillon, Yann Drillet, Renaud Dussurget, Ghada El Serafy, Katja Fennel, Marcos Garcia Sotillo, Patrick Heimbach, Fabrice Hernandez, Patrick Hogan, Ibrahim Hoteit, Sudheer Joseph, Simon Josey, Pierre-Yves Le Traon, Simone Libralato, Marco Mancini, Pascal Matte, Angelique Melet, Yasumasa Miyazawa, Andrew M. Moore, Antonio Novellino, Andrew Porter, Heather Regan, Laia Romero, Andreas Schiller, John Siddorn, Joanna Staneva, Cecile Thomas-Courcoux, Marina Tonani, Jose Maria Garcia-Valdecasas, Jennifer Veitch, Karina von Schuckmann, Liying Wan, John Wilkin, and Romane Zufic
State Planet, 1-osr7, 2, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-1-osr7-2-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-1-osr7-2-2023, 2023
Liying Wan, Marcos Garcia Sotillo, Mike Bell, Yann Drillet, Roland Aznar, and Stefania Ciliberti
State Planet, 5-opsr, 15, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-5-opsr-15-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-5-opsr-15-2025, 2025
Short summary
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Operating the ocean value chain requires the implementation of steps that must work systematically and automatically to generate ocean predictions and deliver this information. The paper illustrates the main challenges foreseen by operational chains in integrating complex numerical frameworks from the global to coastal scale and discusses existing tools that facilitate orchestration, including examples of existing systems and their capacity to provide high-quality and timely ocean forecasts.
Fabrice Hernandez, Marcos Garcia Sotillo, and Angélique Melet
State Planet, 5-opsr, 17, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-5-opsr-17-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-5-opsr-17-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
An historical review over the last 3 decades on intercomparison projects of ocean numerical reanalysis or forecast is first proposed. From this, main issues and lessons learned are discussed in order to propose an overview of best practices and key considerations to facilitate intercomparison activities in operational oceanography.
Manuel García-León, José María García-Valdecasas, Lotfi Aouf, Alice Dalphinet, Juan Asensio, Stefania Angela Ciliberti, Breogán Gómez, Víctor Aquino, Roland Aznar, and Marcos Sotillo
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-657, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-657, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Ocean Science (OS).
Short summary
Short summary
Accurate short-term wave forecasts are key for coastal activities. These forecasts rely on wind and currents as forcing, which in this work were both enhanced using neural networks (NNs) trained with satellite and radar data. Tested at three European sites, the NN-corrected winds were 35 % more accurate, and currents also improved. This led to improved IBI wave model predictions of wave height and period by 10 % and 17 %, respectively; even correcting under extreme events.
Pierre-Yves Le Traon, Gerald Dibarboure, Jean-Michel Lellouche, Marie-Isabelle Pujol, Mounir Benkiran, Marie Drevillon, Yann Drillet, Yannice Faugere, and Elisabeth Remy
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-356, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-356, 2025
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By providing all weather, global and real time observations of sea level, a key variable to constrain ocean analysis and forecasting systems, satellite altimetry has had a profound impact on the development of operational oceanography. The paper provides an overview of the development and evolution of satellite altimetry and operational oceanography over the past 20 years from the launch of Jason-1 in 2001 to the launch of SWOT in 2022.
Amélie Loubet, Simon J. van Gennip, Romain Bourdallé-Badie, and Marie Drevillon
State Planet Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-2024-31, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-2024-31, 2024
Preprint under review for SP
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Marine Heatwaves (MHWs) are intensifying due to climate change. In 2023, the Copernicus Marine forecast system tracked a significant MHW event in the North Tropical Atlantic. Here we show this event was unprecedented, at the surface and at depth. It peaked in the northeast in May, spreading southwest to reach the Caribbean by fall. In the east and centre, the MHW remained within the surface layers, while in the Caribbean, it reached deeper levels due to warm waters advected by equatorial eddies.
Antonio Sánchez-Román, Flora Gues, Romain Bourdalle-Badie, Marie-Isabelle Pujol, Ananda Pascual, and Marie Drévillon
State Planet, 4-osr8, 4, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-4-osr8-4-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-4-osr8-4-2024, 2024
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This study investigates the changing pattern of the Gulf Stream over the last 3 decades as observed in the altimetric record (1993–2022). Changes in the Gulf Stream path have an effect on its speed (and associated energy) and also on waters transported towards the subpolar North Atlantic, impacting Europe's climate. The observed shifts in the paths seem to be linked to variability in the North Atlantic Ocean during winter that may play an important role.
Álvaro de Pascual Collar, Roland Aznar, Bruno Levier, and Marcos García Sotillo
State Planet, 4-osr8, 5, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-4-osr8-5-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-4-osr8-5-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The Iberia–Biscay–Ireland region in the North Atlantic has diverse ocean currents impacting upper and deeper layers. These currents are vital for heat transport, species dispersion, and sediment and pollutant movement. Monitoring them is crucial for informed decision-making in ocean-related activities, including the blue economy sector. This study introduces an indicator to track these currents, covering main ones like the Azores, Canary, Portugal, and poleward slope currents.
Andrea Storto, Giulia Chierici, Julia Pfeffer, Anne Barnoud, Romain Bourdalle-Badie, Alejandro Blazquez, Davide Cavaliere, Noémie Lalau, Benjamin Coupry, Marie Drevillon, Sebastien Fourest, Gilles Larnicol, and Chunxue Yang
State Planet, 4-osr8, 12, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-4-osr8-12-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-4-osr8-12-2024, 2024
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The variability in the manometric sea level (i.e. the sea level mass component) in three ocean basins is investigated in this study using three different methods (reanalyses, gravimetry, and altimetry in combination with in situ observations). We identify the emerging long-term signals, the consistency of the datasets, and the influence of large-scale climate modes on the regional manometric sea level variations at both seasonal and interannual timescales.
Karina von Schuckmann, Lorena Moreira, Mathilde Cancet, Flora Gues, Emmanuelle Autret, Jonathan Baker, Clément Bricaud, Romain Bourdalle-Badie, Lluis Castrillo, Lijing Cheng, Frederic Chevallier, Daniele Ciani, Alvaro de Pascual-Collar, Vincenzo De Toma, Marie Drevillon, Claudia Fanelli, Gilles Garric, Marion Gehlen, Rianne Giesen, Kevin Hodges, Doroteaciro Iovino, Simon Jandt-Scheelke, Eric Jansen, Melanie Juza, Ioanna Karagali, Thomas Lavergne, Simona Masina, Ronan McAdam, Audrey Minière, Helen Morrison, Tabea Rebekka Panteleit, Andrea Pisano, Marie-Isabelle Pujol, Ad Stoffelen, Sulian Thual, Simon Van Gennip, Pierre Veillard, Chunxue Yang, and Hao Zuo
State Planet, 4-osr8, 1, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-4-osr8-1-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-4-osr8-1-2024, 2024
Karina von Schuckmann, Lorena Moreira, Mathilde Cancet, Flora Gues, Emmanuelle Autret, Ali Aydogdu, Lluis Castrillo, Daniele Ciani, Andrea Cipollone, Emanuela Clementi, Gianpiero Cossarini, Alvaro de Pascual-Collar, Vincenzo De Toma, Marion Gehlen, Rianne Giesen, Marie Drevillon, Claudia Fanelli, Kevin Hodges, Simon Jandt-Scheelke, Eric Jansen, Melanie Juza, Ioanna Karagali, Priidik Lagemaa, Vidar Lien, Leonardo Lima, Vladyslav Lyubartsev, Ilja Maljutenko, Simona Masina, Ronan McAdam, Pietro Miraglio, Helen Morrison, Tabea Rebekka Panteleit, Andrea Pisano, Marie-Isabelle Pujol, Urmas Raudsepp, Roshin Raj, Ad Stoffelen, Simon Van Gennip, Pierre Veillard, and Chunxue Yang
State Planet, 4-osr8, 2, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-4-osr8-2-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-4-osr8-2-2024, 2024
Sylvain Cailleau, Laurent Bessières, Léonel Chiendje, Flavie Dubost, Guillaume Reffray, Jean-Michel Lellouche, Simon van Gennip, Charly Régnier, Marie Drevillon, Marc Tressol, Matthieu Clavier, Julien Temple-Boyer, and Léo Berline
Geosci. Model Dev., 17, 3157–3173, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-3157-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-3157-2024, 2024
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In order to improve Sargassum drift forecasting in the Caribbean area, drift models can be forced by higher-resolution ocean currents. To this goal a 3 km resolution regional ocean model has been developed. Its assessment is presented with a particular focus on the reproduction of fine structures representing key features of the Caribbean region dynamics and Sargassum transport. The simulated propagation of a North Brazil Current eddy and its dissipation was found to be quite realistic.
Álvaro de Pascual-Collar, Roland Aznar, Bruno Levier, and Marcos García-Sotillo
State Planet, 1-osr7, 9, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-1-osr7-9-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-1-osr7-9-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The article comprises the analysis of the ocean heat content in the northeastern Atlantic Iberian–Biscay–Ireland (IBI) region. The variability of ocean heat content is studied, and results are linked with the variability of the main water masses found in the region. Results show how the coupled interannual variability of water masses accounts for an important part of the total ocean heat content variability in the region.
Stefania A. Ciliberti, Enrique Alvarez Fanjul, Jay Pearlman, Kirsten Wilmer-Becker, Pierre Bahurel, Fabrice Ardhuin, Alain Arnaud, Mike Bell, Segolene Berthou, Laurent Bertino, Arthur Capet, Eric Chassignet, Stefano Ciavatta, Mauro Cirano, Emanuela Clementi, Gianpiero Cossarini, Gianpaolo Coro, Stuart Corney, Fraser Davidson, Marie Drevillon, Yann Drillet, Renaud Dussurget, Ghada El Serafy, Katja Fennel, Marcos Garcia Sotillo, Patrick Heimbach, Fabrice Hernandez, Patrick Hogan, Ibrahim Hoteit, Sudheer Joseph, Simon Josey, Pierre-Yves Le Traon, Simone Libralato, Marco Mancini, Pascal Matte, Angelique Melet, Yasumasa Miyazawa, Andrew M. Moore, Antonio Novellino, Andrew Porter, Heather Regan, Laia Romero, Andreas Schiller, John Siddorn, Joanna Staneva, Cecile Thomas-Courcoux, Marina Tonani, Jose Maria Garcia-Valdecasas, Jennifer Veitch, Karina von Schuckmann, Liying Wan, John Wilkin, and Romane Zufic
State Planet, 1-osr7, 2, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-1-osr7-2-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-1-osr7-2-2023, 2023
Djoirka Minto Dimoune, Florence Birol, Fabrice Hernandez, Fabien Léger, and Moacyr Araujo
Ocean Sci., 19, 251–268, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-251-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-19-251-2023, 2023
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Altimeter-derived currents are used here to revisit the seasonal and interannual variability of all surface currents involved in the western tropical Atlantic circulation. A new approach based on the calculation of the current strengths and core positions is used to investigate the relationship between the currents, the remote wind variability, and the tropical Atlantic modes. The results show relationships at the seasonal and interannual timescale depending on the location of the currents.
Jean-Michel Lellouche, Eric Greiner, Olivier Le Galloudec, Gilles Garric, Charly Regnier, Marie Drevillon, Mounir Benkiran, Charles-Emmanuel Testut, Romain Bourdalle-Badie, Florent Gasparin, Olga Hernandez, Bruno Levier, Yann Drillet, Elisabeth Remy, and Pierre-Yves Le Traon
Ocean Sci., 14, 1093–1126, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-14-1093-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-14-1093-2018, 2018
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In the coming decades, a strong growth of the ocean economy is expected. Scientific advances in operational oceanography will play a crucial role in addressing many environmental challenges and in the development of ocean-related economic activities. In this context, remarkable improvements have been achieved with the current Mercator Ocean system. 3-D water masses, sea level, sea ice and currents have been improved, and thus major oceanic variables are hard to distinguish from the data.
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Short summary
Operational forecasting systems require best practices for assessing the quality of ocean products. The authors discuss the role of the observing network in performing validation of ocean models, identifying current gaps but also emphasizing the need of new metrics. An analysis on the level of maturity of validation processes from global to regional systems is provided. A rich variety of approaches exists. An example is provided of how the Copernicus Marine Service organizes product quality information.
Operational forecasting systems require best practices for assessing the quality of ocean...
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