GODAE is sponsored by
The CSS projects
Gulf of Mexico
P14 - Northern Gulf of Mexico (NOPP GODAE HYCOM)
Project name, acronym
Enabling and Initiating Observing System Simulation Experiment of a Coastal High Resolution Oceanographic Model in the Northern Gulf of Mexico.
Domain
Northern Gulf of Mexico
Objectives
Develop an Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) system applicable to the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGoM),and begin to conduct OSSEs to define the optimal observing system for this region.
Determine the impact of initial and boundary conditions provided by HYCOM GODAE ocean nowcasts and forecasts on the capability of the nested model to hindcast and predict the coastal ocean environment.The NGoM model will be nested both directly to the GODAE North Atlantic HYCOM and to a nested Gulf of Mexico HYCOM to evaluate the optimal downscaling approach for coastal models. Boundary conditions from free-running and data assimilative outer models will also be evaluated.
Perform process oriented studie to determine the best parameterization for the Mississippi River plume and understand the interaction of the plume with the Loop Current.
Examine the influence of nested boundary conditions on the improvement of coastal to open sea interactions (such as the Mississippi River plume and the Loop Current).
Evaluate the quality of coastal ocean hindcast and predictions against observations that include existing elements of the Coastal Ocean Observing System.
Identify the most useful observations for evaluating and improving coastal ocean models that should be maintained as part of a coastal observation network.
Provide feedback and recommendations designed to improve the HYCOM GODAE product. This information will also help improve other ocean nowcast products produced as part of GODAE.
Approach
We use a high resolution HYCOM assimilative model covering the Gulf of Mexico through the Florida Strait (GoM-HYCOM), itself nested within the larger-scale HYCOM GODAE product, to obtain initial and boundary conditions for a higher resolution coastal model (NGoM-HYCOM). The GoM-HYCOM model has already successfully incorporated a state-of-the-art assimilation scheme (NCODA) so coastal hindcasts and predictions nested within it, will enable us to demonstrate the impact of high resolution initial and boundary conditions on coastal forecasts, to conduct Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) with available CODE drifter, SVP drifter and satellite data and help guide the design for the Gulf Coastal Oceanographic Observing System (GCOOS).
Project status
The project will finish summer of 2009
(Last Updated: 17-01-2008)