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Assessment of ERA-Interim Reanalysis Data Quality for the Caspian Sea Area

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Abstract

The analysis of the ERA-Interim atmospheric circulation reanalysis data for the Caspian Sea area is carried out. The possibility of their use for specifying external forcing in a numerical model of thermo- and hydrodynamic processes in the Caspian Seais considered. The quality of these data is estimated based on a comparison with the climate atlases of the sea. The most significant differences between the average long-term fields of ERA-Interim and climate data are revealed, the possible errors in the numerical simulation of the thermohaline circulation, water and heat budgets of the Caspian Sea are analyzed. It is concluded that, in general, the ERA-Interim fields are in relatively good agreement with the climate and can be used to simulate the dynamics of the Caspian Sea. Wind speed during the autumn-winter period is under estimated over the Absheron Sill by 1–1.5 m/s and is overestimated in the Northern Caspian Sea by 1–2 m/s, whereas deviations from climate data in the warm season are minimal. The direction of the resulting wind qualitatively coincides with the climate throughout the year. The discrepancies in the fields of air temperature and dew point during most of the year do not exceed 1°C and reach 2–3°C only in winter in the Northern Caspian. Quite large deviations from climatic data (up to 35%) are registered in radiation fields. However, most likely, they are associated with errors in climate atlases. According to reanalysis data, total precipitation is consistent with the existing quantitative estimates. The spatial and temporal distribution of precipitation qualitatively corresponds to the climate.

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Funding

The research was performed in Marchuk Institute of Numerical Mathematics of Russian Academy of Sciences in the framework of the Governmental Assignment of Federal Agency of Scientific Organizations of Russia (theme 0015-2019-0013) and was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (grant 17-05-01282-а).

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Correspondence to G. S. Dyakonov.

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Russian Text ©The Author(s), 2020, published in Meteorologiya i Gidrologiya, 2020, No. 9, pp. 65-77.

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Dyakonov, G.S., Ibrayev, R.A. & Shishkova, P.O. Assessment of ERA-Interim Reanalysis Data Quality for the Caspian Sea Area. Russ. Meteorol. Hydrol. 45, 650–657 (2020). https://doi.org/10.3103/S106837392009006X

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.3103/S106837392009006X

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