Assessment of Skill for Coastal Ocean Transients (ASCOT-01)

Data collected from the NATO Reseach Vessel Alliance, the R/V Lucky Lady (UMass.- Dartmouth), the R/V Neritic (UMass.-Boston) and the R/V Oceanus (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, for the ECOHAB project) during the period 6-21 June 2001, as well as remotely sensed data, has been combined with historical Massachusetts Bay and Gulf of Maine data to provide an estimate for the current synoptic conditions. This estimate of synoptic conditions provide the initialization conditions for the Harvard Ocean Prediction System (HOPS) model simulations.

The ASCOT-01 simulation and operational system consists of a set of three two-way nested domains: the Northwest Atlantic (NWA), the Gulf of Maine (GOM) and Massachusetts Bay (MB). The specifics of the individual domains are given in other documents. In the operational context, there is two-way nesting between the NWA and GOM (NWA/GOM) domains and the GOM and MB (GOM/MB) domains. The NWA/GOM nested run provides boundary conditions for the GOM during the GOM/MB nested run. Results presented below are for the Massachusetts Bay domain only.

Examination of the model output shows a considerable amount of inertial energy in the system (especially in the Gulf of Maine). To filter the inertial motions out of the synoptic snapshots below, a simple time filter was applied to the model output.

 

Model Simulation Results (22-25 June 2001)
Temperature Salinity Velocity
Forecast skill metrics compare the forecast with in situ observations not included in the forecast. There are no observations in Mass. Bay at this time which have not been included. As a result, no skill metrics are currently available.

 

Model Forcing
Wind Stress Heat Flux

 

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Your comments on these and other products are welcome. Please send them to:

robinson@pacific.harvard.edu