Dietze, Heiner , Löptien, Ulrike and Getzlaff, Klaus (2014) MOMBA 1.1 - a high-resolution Baltic Sea configuration of GFDL's modular ocean model. Geoscientific Model Development, 7 . pp. 1713-1731. DOI 10.5194/gmd-7-1713-2014.

Preview

Text gmd-7-1713-2014.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0. Download (7MB) | Preview

Abstract

We present a new coupled ocean-circulation–ice model configuration of the Baltic Sea. The model features, contrary to most existing configurations, a high horizontal resolution of ≈ 1 nautical mile (≈ 1.85 km), which is eddy-resolving over much of the domain. The vertical discretisation comprises a total of 47 vertical levels. Results from a 1987 to 1999 hindcast simulation show that the model's fidelity is competitive. As suggested by a comparison with sea surface temperatures observed from space, this applies especially to near-surface processes. Hence, the configuration is well suited to serve as a nucleus of a fully fledged coupled ocean-circulation–biogeochemical model (which is yet to be developed). A caveat is that the model fails to reproduce major inflow events. We trace this back to spurious vertical circulation patterns at the sills which may well be endemic to high-resolution models based on geopotential coordinates. Further, we present indications that – so far neglected – eddy/wind effects exert significant control on wind-induced up- and downwelling.

Actions (login required)

View Item