Validation of V3 model results from ARCMFC

Here, we present results from validation of Version 3 of the model results that are produced by Copernicus Marine Service Arctic Monitoring and Forecasting Centre. Version 3 corresponds to ARCMFC ocean and sea ice models

• PHYS (ARCTIC_ANALYSISFORECAST_PHY_TIDE_002_001)
• PHY_TIDE (ARCTIC_ANALYSISFORECAST_PHY_TIDE_002_015)
• BGC (ARCTIC_ANALYSISFORECAST_BGC_002_004)
• WAV (ARCTIC_ANALYSIS_FORECAST_WAV_002_014)
• PHY_ICE (ARCTIC_ANALYSISFORECAST_PHY_ICE_002_011)

Aggregated validation results are available as
• Validation time series (2023-09 -)

Validation results for all weekly bulletins are available for the separate forecast variables, for

• Sea ice concentration (ARCMFC PHYS)
• Ice chart data
• SSMIS data
• AMSR2 data
• Sea ice thickness (ARCMFC PHYS)
• SMOS data
• Cryosat data
• Sea ice drift (ARCMFC PHYS)
• Near surface drift (ARCMFC PHYS)
• Sea surface temperature (ARCMFC PHYS)
• Drifting buoys
• Satellite data
• Temperature and salinity profiles (ARCMFC PHYS)
• Sea level anomaly (ARCMFC PHYS)
• Jason altimetry
• Cryosat altimetry
• Sentinel altimetry
• 3km Storm surge and tides (ARCMFC PHY_TIDE)
• 3km Near surface drift (ARCMFC PHY_TIDE)
• Chlorophyll a (ARCMFC BGC)
• Mixed layer depth (ARCMFC BGC)
• 3km Wave Validation (ARCMFC WAV)
• Sea ice concentration (ARCMFC PHY_ICE)
• Sea ice thickness (ARCMFC PHY_ICE)
• Sea ice type (ARCMFC PHY_ICE)

All values for biases result from subtracting observed values from model results. Hence, a model will have a positive bias if e.g. model temperatures are higher than the corresponding temperature observations.

There is also an overview of the various validation regions, available as

• Regions with validation results

V2 Validation results

Validation results from V2, including PHYS (ARCTIC_ANALYSIS_FORECAST_PHYS_002_001_a), are available as

• Sea ice concentration, position of ice edge
• Sea ice thickness
• Sea ice type
• Sea ice drift
• Near surface drift
• Sea surface temperature
• Temperature and salinity profiles
• Sea level anomaly and geostrophic velocity
• Chlorophyll a (discontinued)
• 6km Wave Validation (WAM) (discontinued)

V2 validation time series

• Validation time series (2020-)
• Validation time series (2016-2019)
• Validation time series (2012-2015)

V1 Validation results

V1 simulations have been discontinued. Validation results from V1 are available as

• V1 Sea ice concentration, position of ice edge
• V1 Sea ice drift
• V1 Sea surface temperature
• V1 Temperature and salinity profiles
• V1 Sea Level Anomaly

V0 Validation results

V0 simulations have been discontinued. Validation results from V0 are available as

• V0 Sea ice concentration, position of ice edge
• V0 Sea surface temperature