Section: Application Domains

Oceanography

The capacity of performing a high quality forecast of the state of the ocean, from the regional to the global scales, is a major requirement of global warming studies. Such a forecast can only be obtained by systematically coupling numerical models and observations (in situ and satellite data). In this context, being able to assimilate image structures becomes fundamental. Examples of such structures are:

• apparent motion linked to surface velocity;

• trajectories, obtained either from tracking of features or from integration of the velocity field;

• spatial structures, such as fronts, eddies or filaments.

Image Models for these structures are developed taking into account the underlying physical processes. Image data are assimilated within the Image Models to derive pseudo-observations of the state variables which are further assimilated within the numerical ocean forecast model.