| Product description | (2007-08-16) |
| WHAT ? | PRODUCT-ID |
MERCATOR-NATL-PSY2V2-FOR
|
| PRODUCT TYPE |
Ocean forecast
| OUTPUT TYPE |
Gridded (analysis)
|
| OVERVIEW |
General description : North Atlantic 1/15° eddy revolving daily 3D ocean hindcast, nowcast and forecast.
Operational Ocean General Circulation Models are able to describe routinely the 4D evolution of the physical ocean variables such as : temperature, salinity , currents, sea level height etc.
Mercator Ocean has been developing operational ocean general circulation models for 2001. The core of the Mercator systems is a physical ocean model based on primitive equation assimilating real-time sea level anomaly and in situ data (SST, T/S profiles).
Processing information : Mercator uses the OPA z-coordinate primitive equation ocean code developed at LODYC, France (Madec et al., 1998). Two configurations are being used, so that to cover global ocean with an eddy-permitting resolution, and North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea basins with an eddy-resolving resolution : - A high resolution basin configuration (5 to 7 km horizontal resolution, 43 vertical levels) covering North Atlantic (from 9°N to 70°N) and Mediterranean sea; this configuration focuses on meso-scale.
- A global middle resolution configuration (1/4° horizontal resolution, 43 vertical levels) covering global ocean; this configuration aims at providing the best ocean state estimates for global ocean analysis and boundary conditions for regional models worldwide.
Mercator assimilation deals with altimeter sea level anomaly, sea surface temperature and temperature and salinity in situ profiles data into its basin and global scale models. The currently operational method is based on the multivariate optimal interpolation SOFA scheme developed by LEGOS (De Mey, 1999).The Mercator system weekly provides a full 3D daily depiction of the ocean dynamics and thermohaline circulation covering two-week hindcasts and two-week forecasts.
Numerical ocean fields consist of: - Full resolution daily mean of 3D and 2D variables, which are available in the Mercator model native format (DIMG format a simple binary format commonly used in the OPA community),
- Daily mean fields interpolated onto standard grids in netCDF COARDS-CF format The 3D currents (U, V), temperature and salinity are available.
Additional 2D fields are also available (SSH, mixed layer depth, etc.). All the data (input and output) of Mercator are archived and the access to real-time as well as to all the archived passed data is possible to registered users. All these products are available through an Opendap server. Ancillary data and diagnosed quantities (such as high resolution data along sections or at given location) are also available.
Description of observation methods / instruments : N/A
Quality/accuracy/calibration information : The quality of the bulletin is weekly assessed and based on : - human expertise
- Metrics computation
- Assimilation diagnosis
- Other diagnosis such as gap between observation and model output
Suitability, Expected type of users / uses : 7 main uses are targeted :- provide numerical ocean forecast for the global ocean at mesoscale
- provide short term surface ocean forecast for oil drift, military applications, scientific cruises, fishing, off shore industry, navigation, ocean races, search and rescue
- provide boundaries conditions for coastal operational monitoring and forecasting, regional applications, downscaling
- contribute to seasonal forecast
- provide reference inter annual simulations of the physical and ecological state of the ocean for Research and Environment assessment
- contribute to the assessment of in situ and remotely sensed ocean observing systems to contribute to design and calibration/validation of the space agencies observing systems.
- contribute to the citizen education: the role of the ocean in the planet equilibrium for environment policies, education, outreach.
|
| PARAMETERS GROUP |
| (from BODC) |
|
| PARAMETERS
(parameter, unit, convention)
|
- downwelling_radiative_flux_in_sea_water,W m-2,CF
- eastward_sea_water_velocity,m s-1,CF
- northward_sea_water_velocity,m s-1,CF
- ocean_barotropic_streamfunction,m3 s-1,CF
- ocean_mixed_layer_thickness,m,CF
- sea_surface_height_above_geoid,m,CF
- sea_water_salinity,1e-3,CF
- sea_water_temperature,K,CF
- surface_downward_eastward_stress,Pa,CF
- surface_downward_northward_stress,Pa,CF
- surface_downward_water_flux,kg m-2 s-1,CF
|
| WHERE ? | GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE |
| GEOGRAPHICAL SCALE |
Regional scale
|
| SPATIAL RESOLUTION |
1/15 degree
|
| VERTICAL COVERAGE |
from 0 to -2000 meters.
|
| WHEN ? | TEMPORAL COVERAGE | Since 2007-01-01 - onGoing | TEMPORAL RESOLUTION | |
| PROCESS/ UPDATE | UPDATED | weekly |
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