Simulated circulation in the Indonesian archipelago from a high resolution global ocean general circulation model on the numerical wind tunnel

Abstract

To represent both the basin-scale circulation in the ocean and the local small-scale variations at the same time, a high resolution global ocean general circulation model (OGCM) is essential. Recent progress in parallel computing techniques together with the high ability of computer itself makes it possible to use such a high resolution OGCM for climate variability issues. We have developed and are using a global OGCM based on the Princeton Ocean Model, with 1/6 degrees horizontal grid resolutions. This model has been running on the Numerical Wind Tunnel at National Aerospace Laboratory in Japan, using 64 PEs with 256 MB memory for each PE, and is successful in reproducing very realistic variations of the currents and tracer fields. In the present study, details of the model and some examples of those variations from 16-year calculation with climatological forcing fields are introduced.