Harvard Ocean Prediction System (HOPS)

The Harvard Ocean Prediction System (HOPS) is a system of integrated software for multidisciplinary oceanographic research. HOPS is designed to provide:

1. the naval ocean forecaster with accurate estimates of ocean fields in a timely and reliable manner;
2. the physical oceanography scientist with realistic simulations of the ocean in order to study fundamental dynamical mesoscale processes;
3. the acoustical oceanography scientist with tools to obtain reliable representations of the mesoscale sound speed variability;
4. the bio-geochemical oceanography scientist with an integrated environment to carry out coupled physical-bio-geochemical model simulations.

HOPS configured as a nowcast/forecast system is designed to meet shipboard operational needs requiring adaptability to diverse data streams and dominant physics in a given region. It has the ability to be exercised fully as a stand-alone system utilizing ship gathered information only. HOPS, configured as a research and training tool for physical oceanography scientists, facilitates the generation of physical fields suitable for process studies. It allows efficient exploration and exploitation of new algorithms and ideas. The configuration of HOPS for interdisciplinary research provides a laboratory to investigate the influence of the physical environment on the evolution of the oceanic bio-geochemical mass and sound propagation.

The distributed version of HOPS includes software which has been structured to work in an integrated fashion; especially with regard to inputs and outputs. The heart of HOPS is a primitive equation dynamical model, which is supported by data gridding routines, initialization and assimilation field preparation routines, visualization software, data preparation codes and topography conditioning software.

References

Software

HOPS

• HOPS Software A brief introduction to the Harvard Ocean Prediction System software, with links to download the software. A simple list of the software download links is contained in the software bypass.
• Software to Support HOPS A brief introduction to the software around which HOPS is built. Includes download links.

User Contributions

• Introduction to HopsGui MATLAB Graphic User Interface for viewing HOPS netCDF files.

Activities

Current Projects A brief introduction to current projects using and/or advancing the Harvard Ocean Prediction System.

Real-Time Forecasting A brief list of recent real-time exercises using the Harvard Ocean Prediction System.

Oceanographic Data on the Web A brief list of data sources suitable for real-time forecasting.