CMOP Seminar: "A Coastal Ocean Modeling, Data Assimilation and Forecasting System"

Start Date/Time: Friday, June 19, 2009, 11:00 AM
Location: OHSU WEest Campus, Paul Clayton Building, Room #401

CMOP Seminar Series

Speaker: Yi Chao, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology & Joint Institute for Regional Earth System Science and Engineering, UCLA

http://science.jpl.nasa.gov/people/Chao/
If you are interested in attending this seminar by video, please contact Jim Mohan at mohanj@ebs.ogi.edu

Abstract: This talk will describe the development and implementation of a coastal ocean forecasting system being developed off the U.S. west coast. Using the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS), we have developed several multi-scale nested model configurations with increasing spatial resolutions over the region of interests. An advanced and computationally efficient data assimilation scheme has been developed based on the three-dimensional variational (3DVAR) algorithm that can assimilate both in situ and satellite observations. Assimilation of high-frequency (HF) radar surface current measurements is also developed. We have been testing and improving the ROMS-based forecasting system in the Monterey Bay, California, during several field experiments with intensive measurements by gliders and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). A 1-km ROMS model configuration over the southern California coastal ocean has been implemented for real-time operations providing nowcast and forecast fields every six hours to research and application users ( http://ourocean.jpl.nasa.gov/SCB). A similar forecasting system for the Prince William Sound, Alaska, is currently being developed, and a drifter release field experiment is planned for the summer 2009 to systematically evaluate the forecasting performance. Using model forecast to conduct adaptive sampling (e.g., strategically deploying gliders in certain areas) with a goal to minimize the forecasting error has also been carried out. Future plans to refine the ROMS-based coastal ocean forecasting system will be discussed.

You can learn more about the CMOP Seminar Series at http://www.stccmop.org/seminars . The CMOP seminar/lecture series aims to inform and educate the participants, give specific direction for future CMOP research, and bring together researchers and others in the community in order to develop professional relationships.