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Abstract:
In situ experimental data and numerical model results are presented from the Ligurian Sea in the northwestern Mediterranean. Here surface winds are light in summer except during occasional Mistral events which are often associated with cyclogenesis in the lee of the Alps. The Ligurian Sea Air-Sea Interaction Experiment (LASIE07) took place in June 2007. with a focus on the coincident measurement of oceanic and atmospheric boundary layer properties. To help interpret the observational results we use the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS(Registered)), developed at the Naval Research Laboratory. This system includes an atmospheric sigma coordinate, nonhydrostatic model, coupled to a hydrostatic sigma-z level ocean model (Naval Coastal Ocean Model), using the Earth System Modeling Framework (ESMF). Both models are at high resolution: the inner nest of the COAMPS domain is on a 4 km grid with 40 vertical levels, and that for NCOM on a 2km grid with 50 levels. The coupled model system is evaluated for a month long simulation which includes data assimilation in the atmosphere but not the ocean. Correlation coefficients between model and observed values for near-surface wind speeds, and turbulent heat fluxes are above 0.5 (significant at 99%) at a deep water mooring. A comparison of the coupled run with an uncoupled atmospheric run using analysis SST at the surface boundary, both of which use atmospheric data assimilation, does not reveal significant or systematic differences.
| Limitations: |
 APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE |
| Description: |
Conference proceeding |
| Pages: |
9 |
| Report Date: |
20 Jan 2010 |
| Report Number: |
A331315 |
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