Abstract
Abstract. We describe “Doppio”, a ROMS-based (Regional Ocean Modeling System) model of the Mid-Atlantic Bight and Gulf of Maine regions of the northwestern North Atlantic developed in anticipation of future applications to biogeochemical cycling, ecosystems, estuarine downscaling, and near-real-time forecasting. This free-running regional model is introduced with circulation simulations covering 2007–2017. The ROMS configuration choices for the model are detailed, and the forcing and boundary data choices are described and explained. A comprehensive observational data set is compiled for skill assessment from satellites and in situ observations from regional associations of the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing Systems, including moorings, autonomous gliders, profiling floats, surface-current-measuring coastal radar, and fishing fleet sensors. Doppio's performance is evaluated with respect to these observations by representation of subregional temperature and salinity error statistics, as well as velocity and sea level coherence spectra. Model circulation for the Mid-Atlantic Bight and Gulf of Maine is visualized alongside the mean dynamic topography to convey the model's capabilities.
Highlights
Coastal ocean circulation models that downscale global ocean simulations are useful tools for exploring regional ocean dynamics and associated links to biogeochemistry, ecosystems, geomorphology, and other applications, for example, by inferring transport pathways for nutrients, larvae, sediments, or pollutants
The seasonal cycles of sea surface and bottom temperatures from the model are shown in Fig. 10, with interannual variability depicted in the shaded envelope and the 11-year mean indicated by the thicker lines
The increase in seasonal bottom temperature lags behind sea surface temperature, with typically 2 to 3 months passing after peak summer temperatures before the bottom cooling that marks the breakdown of stratification and deeper mixing of the thermocline; this is most evident in the Gulf of Maine and Mid-Atlantic Bight
Summary
Coastal ocean circulation models that downscale global ocean simulations are useful tools for exploring regional ocean dynamics and associated links to biogeochemistry, ecosystems, geomorphology, and other applications, for example, by inferring transport pathways for nutrients, larvae, sediments, or pollutants. A second prior ROMS-based modeling effort, termed ESPreSSO (Experimental System for Predicting Shelf and Slope Optics), had a more limited geographic scope covering only the Mid-Atlantic Bight (Zavala-Garay et al, 2014) This model has been widely used for studies ranging from hurricane-induced cooling via mixing (Seroka et al, 2017) to shelf-wide ecosystems (Xu et al, 2013) and dissolved organic carbon fluxes (Mannino et al, 2016). The two main outflows are water exiting through the Great South Channel between Cape Cod and Georges Bank toward Nantucket, and around Georges Bank (Brown and Beardsley, 1978) This exchange flow through the Northeast Channel can be influenced by Gulf Stream eddies, episodically delivering warm, saline waters (Bisagni and Smith, 1998) in such quantity as to change the physical circulation of the Gulf of Maine (Brooks, 1987). Improving our capability to model the physical circulation of this region and to determine what may be controlling carbon air–sea exchange and reservoirs at a regional level is important to developing a full comprehension of the carbon cycle at the global scale
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
