Bio-Physical Ocean Modeling in the Gulf of Mexico
Abstract
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Oceanography Division has implemented a 1/25 deg horizontal-resolution numerical ocean model for the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). The model domain encompasses the entire GOM extending from 18 deg to 31 deg North and from 77 deg to 98 deg West. The physical formulation is based on the Naval Coastal Ocean Model (NCOM) configured with a 40 level -z vertical structure: 19 terrain-following (sigma) levels at the top of the water column, and 21 z (depth) levels at the bottom. The terrain-following levels, reaching from the surface to about 137 meters, allow higher vertical resolutions for resolving mixed layer/shallow waters, while the z-levels are used in the stratified ocean. The ocean bathymetry is constructed from the NRL 2-minute database with the coastline set at a depth of 2 meters. The physical model is one-way coupled to a 13-component ecosystem (biogeochemical) model [Chai et. al., 2002, 2003, 2007] that includes nutrients, two classes of plankton, as well as O and C02. The current configuration is tailored, but not limited to, real-time (RT) prediction; providing nowcasts (current state of the ocean) and up to 120-hour forecasts for the region. In this configuration, the model receives (initial) boundary information from the operational 1/8 deg Global NCOM, and it is forced by 3-hourly 1/2 deg momentum and heat fluxes from the Naval Operational Global Prediction System (NOGAPS). The NCOMGOM model assimilates daily surface/subsurface temperature and salinity generated by the Modular Ocean Data Assimilation System (MODAS), which regresses satellite derived Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Sea Surface Height (SSH) data to obtain T&S synthetic profiles.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA511323
Entities
People
- Robert A. Arnone
- Sergio Derada
- Stephanie C. Anderson
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory