Validation and Research Utilization of the NRL Regional Model for the U.S. West Coast

Abstract

In this project, we have evaluated the performance of the regional numerical circulation model in use by the U.S. Navy at NRL, as applied to the circulation of the California Current. We have also used the fields generated by that regional model as boundary conditions for very high resolution nested models of smaller coastal regions. The mean model surface height field has been compared to the expected climatology from several sources. A strong meander around Cape Mendocin was identified as unlike the climatology. The seasonal changes in the height field and EKE has been compared to similar fields from satellite altimeters. The model seasonal development is similar to the real ocean, but the seasonal jet in the model appears to leave the coast earlier in the year than in the altimeter data. This work is continuing under other funding. The nested models have been implemented and have been shown to improve agreement in comparisons to moored current meter observation.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 30, 1999
Accession Number
ADA373755

Entities

People

  • John A. Barth
  • John S. Allen
  • P. T. Strub

Organizations

  • Oregon State University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Altimeters
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Atmospheric Sciences
  • Boundaries
  • California
  • Climatology
  • Coastal Regions
  • High Resolution
  • Kinetic Energy
  • Observation
  • Ocean Currents
  • Regions
  • Statistical Analysis
  • Statistics
  • Three Dimensional
  • United States
  • Validation

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Coastal Oceanography
  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers

Technology Areas

  • Space