Bryan, K., 1991: Ocean circulation models. In Strategies for Future Climate Research, Hamburg: Max Planck Institut für Meteorologie, 265-285.

Abstract: Ocean circulation may be characterized as a "stiff system" with a wide range of important frequencies and horizontal scales. The growing power of computers is allowing an exploration of this wide-banded system through numerical experiments. This review focuses on recent experiments with very high horizontal resolution. Examples are given of a high resolution model of the World Ocean used to assimilate existing observation of water mass properties, and a very detailed process study carried out in idealized geometry. These high resolution experiments offer an opportunity for exploring dynamic issues related to the ocean's role in climate and climate change. Many ideas based on the interpretation of tracers and water masses, can be placed in a more quantitative framework.