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Representer-Based Variational Data Assimilation Systems: A Review

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Data Assimilation for Atmospheric, Oceanic and Hydrologic Applications (Vol. III)
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Abstract

This chapter reviews developments in representer-based variational data assimilation systems over the past 15 years. Data assimilation systems with representer-based algorithms are routinely used in operational and research centers for producing four-dimensional atmospheric and oceanic analyses and prediction. The systems reviewed in this chapter are the Inverse Ocean Modeling (IOM) system, the Naval Research Laboratory Atmospheric Variational Data Assimilation System-Accelerated Representer (NAVDAS-AR) system, the Navy Coastal Ocean Model 4D-Var (NCOM 4D-Var) system, and the Regional Ocean Modeling System 4D-Var (ROMS 4D-Var ) system. These systems are mature operational or semi-operational weak-constraint, four-dimensional variational data assimilation systems. The emphasis here is on providing brief reviews with the key references related to the implementation and applications of these systems. Readers interested in early developments of representer-based systems (before 2002) are encouraged to look at Chua and Bennett (2001) and Bennett (2002).

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Acknowledgements

This work is partially supported by the Chief of Naval Research through the NRL Base Program, PE 0601153N. The authors gratefully acknowledge Professor Andrew Bennett, a pioneer in the field of representer method for variational data assimilation. The authors also gratefully acknowledge late Professor Yoshi Sasaki, the developer of the weak-constraint variational data assimilation technique.

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Correspondence to Boon S. Chua .

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Chua, B.S., Xu, L. (2017). Representer-Based Variational Data Assimilation Systems: A Review. In: Park, S., Xu, L. (eds) Data Assimilation for Atmospheric, Oceanic and Hydrologic Applications (Vol. III). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43415-5_3

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