Nowcasting and Forecasting the Global Ocean
Abstract
Over the past decade, the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has been actively working on the problem of eddy-resolving global ocean modeling and prediction. The world's first global ocean nowcast/forecast system has been developed at NRL and is running in real-time at the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVO). The system consist of the 1/16 degree 7-layer, thermodynamic, finite depth version of the Navy Layered Ocean Nodal (NLOM) for the global ocean (72 degrees to 65 degrees north) and includes a mixed layer and sea surface temperature (SST). It spun-up to real-time using high frequency wind and thermal forcing from the Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center's Navy Operational Global Atmospheric prediction system. It includes assimilation of SST and near real-time TOPEX/POSEIDON and ERS-2 altimeter data made available from NAVO's Altimeter Data Fusion Center NAVO is scheduled to begin operational testing of the system on 15 December 2000 and pending a successful outcome it will become an operational product. System gives a real-time view of the ocean down to 50-200 km scale of ocean eddies and the meandering of ocean currents and fronts. Figure 1 is an example of sea surface height (SSH) and SST for the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA393043
Entities
People
- Alan J. Wallcraft
- Edward Joseph Metzger
- Harley E. Hurlburt
- Ole Martin Smedstad
- Robert C. Rhodes
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory