A new two-way nesting technique for ocean modeling based on the smoothed semi-prognostic method

• Published in: Ocean Dynamics
• Main Authors: Sheng, J, Greatbatch, R, Zhai, X, Tang, L
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: Northwest Atlantic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10236-005-0005-6; https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:d3459ea9-59c9-4a61-beca-b541e1e08886

A new two-way nesting technique is presented for a multiple nested-grid ocean modeling system. The new technique uses the smoothed semi-prognostic (SSP) method to exchange information between the different subcomponents of the nested-grid system. Four versions of the new nesting technique are described, together with conventional one-way nesting. The performance of the different nesting techniques is compared, using two independent nested-grid modeling systems, one for the Scotian Shelf of the northwest Atlantic Ocean and the other for the Meso-American Barrier Reef System of the northwestern Caribbean Sea. Nesting using the semi-prognostic method is shown to effectively prevent unrealistic drift of the inner model, while use of the SSP method avoids unnecessary damping of small scales on the inner model grid. Comparison of the annual-mean flow field with the near-surface currents determined by Fratantoni (in J Geophys Res 106:2977-2996, 2001) from observed trajectories of near-surface drifters demonstrates the overall superiority of the nesting technique based on the SSP method. © Springer-Verlag 2005.