Evaluation of an operational ocean model configuration at 1/12° spatial resolution for the Indonesian seas (NEMO2.3/INDO12) – Part 1: Ocean physics
INDO12 is a 1/12° regional version of the NEMO physical ocean model covering the whole Indonesian EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone). It has been developed and is now running every week in the framework of the INDESO (Infrastructure Development of Space Oceanography) project implemented by the Indonesian...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2016-03-01
|
| Series: | Geoscientific Model Development |
| Online Access: | http://www.geosci-model-dev.net/9/1037/2016/gmd-9-1037-2016.pdf |
| Summary: | INDO12 is a 1/12° regional version of the NEMO physical ocean
model covering the whole Indonesian EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone). It has been developed and is
now running every week in the framework of the INDESO (Infrastructure Development of Space
Oceanography) project
implemented by the Indonesian Ministry of
Marine Affairs and Fisheries.<br><br>
The initial hydrographic conditions as well as open-boundary
conditions are derived from the operational global ocean forecasting
system at 1/4° operated by Mercator Océan. Atmospheric
forcing fields (3-hourly ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast) analyses) are used to force the
regional model. INDO12 is also forced by tidal currents and
elevations, and by the inverse barometer effect. The turbulent
mixing induced by internal tides is taken into account through
a specific parameterisation. In this study we evaluate the model
skill through comparisons with various data sets including outputs of
the parent model, climatologies, in situ temperature and salinity
measurements, and satellite data. The biogeochemical
model results assessment is presented in a companion paper
(Gutknecht et al., 2015).<br><br>
The simulated and altimeter-derived Eddy Kinetic Energy fields
display similar patterns and confirm that tides are a dominant
forcing in the area. The volume transport of the Indonesian throughflow (ITF) is in good agreement with the INSTANT
estimates while the transport through Luzon Strait is, on average,
westward but probably too weak. Compared to
satellite data, surface salinity and temperature fields display
marked biases in the South China Sea. Significant water mass
transformation occurs along the main routes of the ITF
and compares well with observations. Vertical
mixing is able to modify the South and North Pacific subtropical
water-salinity maximum as seen in <i>T</i>–<i>S</i> diagrams.<br><br>
In spite of a few weaknesses, INDO12 proves to be able to provide a very realistic
simulation of the ocean circulation and water mass transformation
through the Indonesian Archipelago.
Work is ongoing to reduce or eliminate the remaining problems in
the second INDO12 version. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1991-959X 1991-9603 |