What is Ocean Modeling?

Ocean modeling is a scientist’s attempt to describe approximately the behaviors of the ocean and things that are related or affected by the ocean. Since ocean science is very much an observation-based science, for a model to be successful, its connection with observations should be strong. A model can be conceptual, based on laboratory experiments or mathematical, or a combination of them. As with observations, models also yield data which are manipulated (e.g. sorting, graphics etc) and analyzed (e.g. statistics, FFT etc) in ways that hopefully yield insights and deeper understanding, which then lead to improved predictions and models. The following diagram (Fig.1) describes the connection between observations, models, data processing and applications.

It is very important to recognize that a model is an approximation of the real world. No matter how sophisticated and realistic a model is, it only sub-samples the real world. This is much like taking incomplete observations; in practice, all observations are incomplete. In both cases, we see the real world through an “imperfect lens.” Thus successful (in the sense of good understanding and prediction of the real world) models tend to incorporate observations and vice versa for successful observational programs.