Global Ocean Prediction Using HYCOM

Abstract

The Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) is isopycnal in the open, stratified ocean, but uses the layered continuity equation to make a dynamically smooth transition to a terrain-following coordinate in shallow coastal regions, and to z-level coordinates in the mixed layer and/or unstratified seas. The hybrid coordinate extends the geographic range of applicability of traditional isopycnic coordinate circulation models toward shallow coastal seas and unstratified parts of the world ocean. The principal goal of this DoD Challenge project is to provide a near real time depiction of the three-dimensional global ocean state at fine resolution. On a 7km (mid-latitude) grid, HYCOM has sufficient resolution to provide a baseline depiction of the most of the world's coastal areas, and will be the highest horizontal resolution world's wide source for realistic offshore boundary conditions for realistic offshore boundary conditions for nested coastal models.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2005
Accession Number
ADA449202

Entities

People

  • Alan J. Wallcraft
  • Edward Joseph Metzger
  • Eric Chassignet
  • Harley E. Hurlburt
  • Ole Martin Smedstad
  • Zulema D. Garraffo

Organizations

  • United States Naval Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Atmospheric Sciences
  • Boundaries
  • Coastal Regions
  • Department Of Defense
  • Grids
  • Latitude
  • Military Research
  • Oceans
  • Offshore
  • Regions
  • Sea Surface Temperature
  • Simulations
  • Terrain
  • Terrain Following
  • Three Dimensional
  • Transitions
  • Water

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

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