A Bio-Physical Ocean Model for the Indian Ocean/Arabian Sea: Implementation and Initial Evaluation
Sergio
deRada, Naval Research Laboratory, derada@nrlssc.navy.mil
(Presenting)
John
Kindle, Naval Research Laboratory (PSI), johnkindle@bellsouth.net
Stephanie
Anderson, Naval Research Laboratory, stephanie.anderson@nrlssc.navy.mil
Joaquim
I.
Goes, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, jgoes@bigelow.org
(Presenting)
Helga
Do Rosario
Gomes, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, hgomes@bigelow.org
Fei
Chai, University of Maine, fchai@maine.edu
Adnan
R. N.
Al-Azri, Sultan Qaboos University, adnazri@squ.edu.om
John
Fasullo, National Center for Atmospheric Research, fasullo@ucar.edu
A 1/8° resolution coupled bio-physical Navy Coastal Ocean Model (NCOM) for the Indian Ocean has been implemented at NRL to study the impact of climate change in the region (see presentations by Goes et al., and Fasullo et al. at this meeting). The regional model receives boundary information from the operational 1/8° Global NCOM and is forced by 1/2° momentum and heat surface fluxes from the Navy Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System (NOGAPS). The global and regional NCOM models assimilate daily altimeter and MCSST temperature via the Modular Ocean Data Assimilation System (MODAS), which regresses satellite derived SSH and SST data to obtain T&S 3D synthetics. The physical model is coupled to a 9-compartment ecosystem model (F. Chai, et al. 2002) which includes nutrients as well as large and small plankton.
Results from the model are compared and evaluated relative to in-situ and remotely sensed observations which include bio-optical products (i. e. SeaWIFS) from NASA. A preliminary analysis of the oceanic response to supertyphoon Gonu will be shown illustrating the air-sea interaction during the storm. Initial assessment of the suitability of the model in reproducing the general trends and meso-scale variability of the region will be discussed, with emphasis on plans and improvements for future simulations and studies.
NASA Carbon Cycle & Ecosystems Active Awards Represented by this Poster: