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

Jinyu Sheng, Richard J. Greatbatch, Xiaoming Zhai, Liqun Tang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

33 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

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.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)162-177
Number of pages16
JournalOcean Dynamics
Volume55
Issue number3-4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2005

Keywords

  • Two-way nesting
  • Semi-prognostic method
  • Ocean model
  • Shelf circulation
  • Scotian Shelf
  • Meso-American Barrier Reef
  • System

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