François Counillon

Research interests
I apply, test and revisit theoretical methods in data assimilation (DA) and modeling to enhance the skill of dynamical predictions. I have worked in operational oceanography and seasonal-to-decadal predictions. My research has led the development of several major prediction systems:
1) The Norwegian Climate Prediction Model (NorCPM) addresses the problem of seasonal-to-decadal prediction; contributes to the WMO Lead Centre for Annual-to-Decadal Climate Prediction and to the CMIP6 Decadal Prediction Project (DCPP). This system is unique as it features advance ensemble DA with an isopycnal coordinate ocean model and carries strongly coupled in the ocean and sea ice component.
2) The TOPAZ system is the main marine core system for the Arctic region in Copernicus (http://www.copernicus.eu) and the Norwegian contribution to the Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE). It is the first ocean forecasting system using strongly coupled ocean and sea ice data assimilation system and the advanced Ensemble Kalman Filter operationally.
3) The first prototype of a supermodel for Earth system modelling with connection via the ocean of MPIESM, CESM and NorESM (a paper is in preparation).
4) Several high-resolution forecasting regional systems for the Gulf of Mexico, the South China Sea and the Agulhas Region (first regional forecasting system of South Africa)
Link to my Google Scholar account: https://scholar.google.no/citations?user=ST7FjOYAAAAJ&hl=en
Project leader of the following projects
NERSC Principal Investigator of the following projects
Project deputy leader of the following projects
Publications
Peer Review Publications and Books
2019
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Observational needs for improving ocean and coupled reanalysis, S2S Prediction, and decadal prediction. Frontiers in Marine Science. 2019;6:391.
2018
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Optimising assimilation of sea ice concentration in an Earth system model with a multicategory sea ice model. Tellus A: Dynamic Meteorology and Oceanography. 2018;70:1435945..
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Impact of assimilating a merged sea-ice thickness from CryoSat-2 and SMOS in the Arctic reanalysis. The Cryosphere. 2018;12(11)..
2017
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Quality assessment of the TOPAZ4 reanalysis in the Arctic over the period 1991-2013. Ocean Science. 2017;13(1)..
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Optimising assimilation of hydrographic profiles into isopycnal ocean models with ensemble data assimilation. Ocean Modelling. 2017;114..
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Seasonal predictability of Kiremt rainfall in coupled general circulation models. Environmental Research Letters. 2017;12(11)..
2016
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Alleviating the bias induced by the linear analysis update with an isopycnal ocean model. Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society. 2016;142(695)..
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Benefits of assimilating thin sea ice thickness from SMOS into the TOPAZ system. The Cryosphere. 2016;10(6)..
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Flow-dependent assimilation of sea surface temperature in isopycnal coordinates with the Norwegian climate prediction model. Tellus A: Dynamic Meteorology and Oceanography. 2016;68:32437.
2015
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Monitoring the spreading of the Amazon freshwater plume by MODIS, SMOS, Aquarius, and TOPAZ. Journal of Geophysical Research (JGR): Oceans. 2015;120(1)..
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Synoptic-scale analysis of mechanisms driving surface chlorophyll dynamics in the North Atlantic. Biogeosciences. 2015;12(11)..
2014
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Toward Improved Estimation of the Dynamic Topography and Ocean Circulation in the High Latitude and Arctic Ocean: The Importance of GOCE. Surveys in geophysics. 2014;35(3).
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Seasonal-to-decadal predictions with the ensemble kalman filter and the Norwegian earth System Model: A twin experiment. Tellus A: Dynamic Meteorology and Oceanography. 2014;66:21074..
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Assimilating along-track SLA data using the EnOI in an eddy resolving model of the Agulhas system. Ocean Dynamics. 2014;64(8)..
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Calibration of sea ice dynamic parameters in an ocean-sea ice model using an ensemble Kalman filter. Journal of Geophysical Research (JGR): Oceans. 2014;119(7)..
2013
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Satellite-derived multi-year trend in primary production in the Arctic Ocean. International Journal of Remote Sensing. 2013;34(11)..
Other Publications
2014
2012
2011
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Spaceborne investigation of the long-term variability of primary productivity in the Arctic Basin. The international conference ”Climate Changes in Polar and Subpolar Regions". 2011;.
2010
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Ocean assimilation and forecasting [Internett]. World Climate Research Programme workshop on seasonal to multi-decadal predictability of polar climate. 2010;Available from: http://www.atmosp.physics.utoronto.ca/SPARC/PolarWorkshop/main.html.
2007
2005
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The TOPAZ monitoring and prediction system for the Atlantic. European Operational Oceanography: Present and Future, 4th EuroGOOS Conference, June 2005, Brest, France. 2005;:456-459..