Global Ocean Prediction Using HYCOM

Abstract

In the third year of this project, fully-global eddy-resolving simulations have been performed using the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) at 1/12 deg (~7 km mid-latitude) resolution. HYCOM is isopycnal in the open, stratified ocean, but makes a dynamically smooth transition to a terrain-following coordinate in shallow water and to pressure coordinates in the mixed layer and/or unstratified regions via the layered continuity equation. This approach incorporates the advantages of these three distinct vertical coordinate types into one ocean model that includes the deep ocean as well as coastal regions. In addition, it is designed for high vertical resolution in the surface mixed layer. The majority of the first and second year simulations were atmospherically forced only (no data assimilation). In the second year and third year we added cases with ocean data assimilation. Since December 2006 we have run a nowcast every day, and since February 2007 we perform a nowcast and a 3-day forecast every day in real time. Results from HYCOM's data-assimilative hindcast of 2004 are compared to observations and to the existing operational nowcast/forecast system at the Naval Oceanographic Office.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2007
Accession Number
ADP023750

Entities

People

  • Alan J. Wallcraft
  • Edward Joseph Metzger
  • Eric Chassignet
  • Harley E. Hurlburt
  • James A. Cummings
  • Ole Martin Smedstad

Organizations

  • United States Naval Research Laboratory

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Arctic Ocean
  • Assimilation
  • Computers
  • Deep Water
  • Department Of Defense
  • High Performance Computing
  • High Resolution
  • Military Research
  • Oceanography
  • Oceans
  • Sea Ice
  • Simulations
  • Technical Information Centers
  • Universities
  • Water

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

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