Abstract
Abstract. The large-scale and mesoscale circulation of the northwestern Mediterranean Sea are simulated with an eddy-resolving primitive-equation regional model (RM) of 1/16° resolution embedded in a general circulation model (GM) of the Mediterranean Sea of 1/8° resolution. The RM is forced by a monthly climatology of heat fluxes, precipitation and wind stress. The GM, which uses the same atmospheric forcing, provides initial and boundary conditions for the RM. Analysis of the RM results shows that several realistic features of the large-scale and mesoscale circulation are evident in this region. The mean cyclonic circulation is in good agreement with observations. Mesoscale variability is intense along the coasts of Sardinia and Corsica, in the Gulf of Lions and in the Catalan Sea. The length scales of the Northern Current meanders along the Provence coast and in the Gulf of Lions’ shelf are in good agreement with observations. Winter Intermediate Water is formed along most of the north-coast shelves, between the Gulf of Genoa and Cape Creus. Advection of this water by the mean cyclonic circulation generates a complex eddy field in the Catalan Sea. Intense anticyclonic eddies are generated northeast of the Balearic Islands. These results are in good agreement with mesoscale activity inferred from satellite altimetric data. This work demonstrates the feasibility of a down-scaling system composed of a general-circulation, a regional and a coastal model, which is one of the goals of the Mediterranean Forecasting System Pilot Project. Key words. Oceanography: physical (currents; eddies and mesoscale processes; general circulation)
Highlights
The aim of the Mediterranean Forecasting System (Pinardi et al, 2001a) is to forecast the circulation and characteristics of the Mediterranean water masses on a global scale (∼10–50 km), to a coastal scale (∼2 km)
During a two-month period following the initialisation, the density and velocity fields adjust to the regional model (RM) topography, spatial resolution and dynamics, which are different from those of the general circulation model (GM)
The large-scale and mesoscale circulation of the northwestern Mediterranean Sea was simulated with the OPA7 primitive-equation circulation model (RM) embedded in a general circulation model (GM) of the Mediterranean Sea
Summary
The aim of the Mediterranean Forecasting System (Pinardi et al, 2001a) is to forecast the circulation and characteristics of the Mediterranean water masses on a global scale (∼10–50 km), to a coastal scale (∼2 km). The operational forecasting of the circulation at global, regional and coastal scale in the Mediterranean can only be achieved if (a) the models are forced by realistic atmospheric fluxes, (b) the model results are validated with the available observations, and (c) data-assimilation methods are implemented to increase the model predictability. A GM simulation using a climatological forcing has been performed by the ISAO-CNR group. The results of this experiment were used to initialise and force the RM at its open boundaries. In the present work we focus on the results of the regional model. 2 describes the climatological atmospheric forcing used in the simulations; Sect. 4 presents the results of the RM simulation; Sect. The present paper is structured as follows: Sect. 2 describes the climatological atmospheric forcing used in the simulations; Sect. 3, the GM and RM configuration; Sect. 4 presents the results of the RM simulation; Sect. 5, the conclusions
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