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 of major interest. 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 a key point of current research. Examples of such image structures are:

• surface velocity;

• trajectories, obtained either by tracking features or by integrating the velocity field;

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

Image models of these structures are developed and take into account the underlying physical processes. Image acquisitions are assimilated with these models to derive pseudo-observations of state variables, which are further assimilated in ocean forecasting models.