Initializing a coupled model to observed initial conditions is a difficult challenge, and critical to climate predictions.
Sea ice is one of the most sensitive model components to an incorrect initial state.
This figure shows a successful initialization of the PCM to observed conditions of 1995. Model sea ice cover in January after running the model forward for 30 years with no constraints. The good agreement with the initial conditions is just one indication that the model drift away from the imposed initial conditions based on observations is small. To predict natural climate variability in the North Pacific on the decadal time scale. The individual ocean and atmosphere components from this model are used separately as well.