Simulation of ice-ocean dynamics in the Weddell Sea. Part I: Model configuration and validation

In the framework of the Bremerhaven Regional Ice Ocean Simulations (BRIOS) a coupled sea ice-ocean model, based on a dynamic-thermodynamic sea ice-model and the S-coordinate Primitive Equation Model (SPEM) has been developed.The model is run on a circumpolar grid which is focussed on the Weddell Sea...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Geophysical Research
Main Authors: Timmermann, Ralph, Beckmann, A., Hellmer, Hartmut
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:unknown
Published: 2002
Subjects:
Online Access:https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/3925/
https://epic.awi.de/id/eprint/3925/1/Tim2000b.pdf
https://doi.org/10.1029/2000JC000741
https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.14501
https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.14501.d001
Description
Summary:In the framework of the Bremerhaven Regional Ice Ocean Simulations (BRIOS) a coupled sea ice-ocean model, based on a dynamic-thermodynamic sea ice-model and the S-coordinate Primitive Equation Model (SPEM) has been developed.The model is run on a circumpolar grid which is focussed on the Weddell Sea.It includes the major Antarctic ice shelves; ice shelf-ocean interaction is described by the sea ice-model's thermodynamic component.Numerical simulations are forced with 6-hourly data of the ECMWF-reanalysis of the period 1985-1993 and validated against observations of hydrography as well as sea ice extent, thickness and drift.Qualitatively and quantitatively, a good agreement with observations is achieved.The basin-wide circulation features a double-cell structure of the Weddell Gyre with maximum transports close to recent observations.Summer sea ice coverage is underestimated but winter ice extent as well as sea ice thickness and drift are well reproduced.