Data collected from the NATO Reseach Vessel Alliance during the period 7-10 May 2002 has been combined with climatological (Mediterranean Ocean Data Base - MODB) 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-02 simulation and operational system consists of a set of two-way nested domains. Pictured here are the Channel and Elba domains. The specifics of the individual domains are given in other documents. Results presented below are for the Channel domain only.