2004 LOM Workshop

Tuesday 9:20 - 9:40 a.m.

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Representing Ocean-Bottom Pressure and Sea-Surface Height in Generalized Vertical Coordinate Ocean Models

Tony Song
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
song@pacific.jpl.nasa.gov

ABSTRACT

Satellite observations of ocean-bottom pressure (OBP) and sea-surface height (SSH) are fundamentally important information about ocean dynamics. Their proper representation in current community-user models is essential for model verifications and data assimilations. The GRACE OBP represents ocean mass changes, while the TOPEX SSH gives changes of water volume. Similarly, conventional z- or Sigma-coordinate models are volume-conserving, while true isopycnal-coordinate and non-Boussinesq models are mass-conserving. In the processes of developing hybrid-coordinate and generalized coordinate models, the data representation problem has to be resolved. This talk will focus on innovative numerical methods in generalized vertical coordinate models for better representation of bottom topography and non-Boussinesq physics. Successful long-term simulations of the Pacific Ocean and ENSO events will be presented.

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LOM Users' Workshop, February 9-11, 2004