The Regional Polar Ice Prediction System - Barents Sea (RPIPS-B): A technical Description

• Main Authors: Preller, Ruth H., Riedlinger, Shelley, Posey, Pamela G.
• Other Authors: NAVAL OCEAN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY STENNIS SPACE CENTER MS
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1989
• Subjects: Physical and Dynamic Oceanography; Snow; Ice and Permafrost; *COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; *SEA ICE; *FORECASTING; *COMPUTER PROGRAMS; ACCURACY; MELTS; COLD REGIONS; KARA SEA; HIGH RESOLUTION; BOUNDARIES; ICE; CONCENTRATION(COMPOSITION); BARENTS SEA; SUMMER; LAND AREAS; CHECKOUT PROCEDURES; PASSIVE SYSTEMS; GROWTH(GENERAL); EDGES; MODELS; MICROWAVES; PE63207N; WUDN894428; Barents Sea; Kara Sea; Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory; Ice; permafrost; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA213159; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA213159

The hydraulic/thermodynamic Artic sea-ice model is designed by W.D. Hibler of the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CREEL) has been adapted to the Barents Sea. This model is driven by atmospheric forcing from the Naval Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System (NOGAPS) and oceanic forcing from the Hibler and Bryan coupled ice-ocean model. This high-resolution model (25 km), which covers the entire Barents Sea and the western half of the Kara Sea, uses a 6-hour time step. Model results show good agreement with such data as the Naval Polar Oceanography Center's (NPOC) analysis of ice concentration and concentrations derived from passive microwave data. The model has a tendency, however, to melt ice too quickly in summer and to grow it back too slowly in the fall. Planned improvements in the atmospheric and oceanic forcing should correct this problem. The high resolution of the Barents Sea model enables it to predict the ice edge, ice growth and decay, and the movement of ice near land boundaries with greater accuracy than does the PIPS model. The Regional Polar Ice Prediction System for the Barents Sea (RPIPS-B) is the forecast system designed to run at the Fleet Numerical Oceanography Center (FNOC) based on the Barents Sea Ice model. RPIPS-B is updated weekly by the NPOC analysis of ice concentration. The forecast system, presently in its 'operational checkout' phase, is being made ready for a winter-spring operational test. Keywords: Computer simulation; Computer programs.