THE SOUTH AMERICAN INITIATIVES IN REGIONAL
MODELING WITH FOCUS ON OPERATIONAL
OCEANOGRAPHY
Mauro Cirano, Marta-Almeida M, Oliveira HB, Sepulveda A, Pereira J, Amorim FN
2nd GODAE OceanView Coastal Oceans and Shelf Seas Task Team (COSS-TT)
International Coordination Workshop (COSS-ICW2)
4 to 7 February 2012 – Lecce, Italy
Outline
 The Western Equatorial/South Atlantic System
•
Brazil/REMO – Regional modeling grids
•
Argentina
 The Eastern Equatorial/South Pacific System
•
Colombia
•
Ecuador
•
Peru
•
Chile
 Summary
 Future Plans
The Equatorial/South Atlantic System
Introduction
 Oceanographic Modeling and Observation Network (Portuguese acronym REMO) main
goal is to undertake research and technological development in physical and operational
oceanography with focus on the South Atlantic Ocean and regions along the Brazilian coast
using assimilative models and observational data
 Our key focus areas include:
• Support of maritime activities and engineering projects with products ranging from
daily oceanic forecasts to hydrodynamic databases
• Support of environmental licensing activities
• Support military activities of the Brazilian Navy
• Release results from ocean simulations, forecasts and validation through the internet for
any user of oceanographic information as part of the ocean services by the Brazilian
Navy Hydrographic Center (CHM)
http://www.rederemo.org
REMO´s Workflow
Introduction
Universities, CENPES
and Brazilian Navy
REMO web-page
(forecasts, model runs,
data)
Regional modeling
Basin and large-scale
modeling
Brazilian Navy
Data Assimilation
Satellite products (SST
and SSH)
Human Resources
Training &
Development
Support to
observational programs
Scientific and Technological
Development
Hydrodynamic
databases
(by request)
Operational
component
Results
ROMS General Configurations
REMO - Regional Modeling Grids
•
Long runs (5 to 10 years) are used to evaluate results before the models become
operational
•
Global Models (varying from monthly climatology to daily outputs) provide initial
and boundary conditions for the thermohaline and velocity fields
•
Synoptic (3 to 6 hours intervals) atmospheric forcing from Quickscat, NCEP and GFS
•
Heat and evaporation-precipitation fluxes are prescribed via Bulk formulation
•
Tides amplitudes/phases and barotropic tidal currents from TPXO
•
Validation performed at supra-inertial (mainly tides) and sub-inertial bands
ROMS Pilot grid
REMO - Regional Modeling Grids
HYCOMNCODA 1/12
Detailed results presented in Marta-Almeida et al (2011a, b) – JOO/EMS
ROMS Pilot grid
REMO - Regional Modeling Grids
Comparison between the modeled SSH during an one year period and the AVISO absolute
dynamic topography with the spatial mean removed.
ROMS Pilot grid
REMO - Regional Modeling Grids
Comparison of the modeled SST during an upwelling event (12/01/2010) and the SST from
satellite (OSI-SAF). The black circle at 21°S represents a coastal site where a time series of
SST was extracted.
Regional Grids – METAREA V
REMO - Regional Modeling Grids
METAREA V - Brazilian responsibility
(WMO-IOC/JCOMM) for marine
forecasts and warnings:
• N/NE grid – 1/24o
637 x 435 grid points
(56oW-30oW; 10oN-8oS)
32 Sigma levels
• E grid – 1/36o
289 x 409 grid points
(40oW-32oW; 8oS-19oS)
32 Sigma levels
• S/SE grid – 1/24o
502 x 564 grid points
(53.3oW-32.4oW; 12.3oS-33.7oS)
32 Sigma levels
• HYCOM – 1/12º and 1/24o
METAREA-V and S/SE grid
S/SE 1/24o grid
REMO - Regional Modeling Grids
Snapshot of SST on the S-SE Grid – Strong
variability and changes in BC behavior.
•
Grid within the Pre-Salt area and
WBC development
•
Similar to HYCOM/REMO 1/24o
grid
–
intercomparisons
and
evaluations
•
Skill assessments (OSTIA, AVISO,
Moorings)
•
2004-2010 – Climatology to
generate Correlation Coef. (NCEP +
HYCOM/NCODA)
•
2011-Present – GFS 0.5 + Ezer &
Mellor (1991) – Migrated from POM
model
S/SE 1/24o grid (HYCOM with CH)
REMO - Regional Modeling Grids
Snapshot
of
the
observed (left) and
modelled (right) SST on
16/02/2007
Hydrodynamic database
(2004-2010)
Current rose of the subinertial velocity (may/07 –
dec/07) at P48
E 1/36o grid
REMO - Regional Modeling Grids
•
The region has the narrowest shelf along
the Brazilian coast (up to 10 km)
•
It is influenced by the latitudinal excursion
of the South Equatorial Current
bifurcation, the seasonal winds, the
passage of frontal systems and the tides
•
The meso-scale activities related to the
Western Boundary Current dynamics
affect periodically the shelf/shelf-break
currents
(Amorim et al., 2011, 2012, 2013)
The shelf break is represented by the 70 m isobath (bold
black line), followed by the 200 m, 500 m, 1000 m,
2000 m, 3000 m and 4000 m.
E 1/36o grid
REMO - Regional Modeling Grids
IS SB
January
BC
wind
NBUC
Inner
shelf
Shelf
break
•
Mean alongshore currents at 14°S show the BC (top 150 m)
and NBUC (below) during January and an upper reverse
circulation during July;
•
Time series of the currents (surface in black) show that the
system is more baroclinic during summer and influenced by
winds and WBC dynamics at the shelf-break.
July
N/NE 1/24º grid
REMO - Regional Modeling Grids
Amazon River climatological cycle (GRDC)
Challenges:
•
World Largest river inflow
•
Meso/macrotidal regime
•
NBC and equatorial dynamics
The South Atlantic System
Argentina
 Servicio Meteorologico Nacional (National Meteorological Service): runs an operational
barotropic model for storm surges coupled with WaveWatch III
http://www.smn.gov.ar/?mod=archolas&id=16 (wave model)
http://www.smn.gov.ar/?mod=pron&id=44 (barotropic model)
The Equatorial/South Pacific System
Colombia
 Following an overview of the main systems focused in observational and operational
oceanography at the Eastern Equatorial/South Pacific Ocean. From north to south:

Colombia: i) Centro de Investigaciones Oceanográficas e Hidrográficas del Caribe (CIOH)
– Operational Oceanography (http://www.cioh.org.co/meteorologia/modelacionyproductos.php)
ii) La Dirección General Marítima (http://www.dimar.mil.co/VBeContent/home.asp)
• CaribWam-III provides a 3 day
(12 hours outputs) forecasts of
waves height and direction
• CIOH also implemented POM for
forecasting the circulation at the
Caribean region - Sistema de
Predicción Oceánica de DIMAR
(SPOD), but the sistem is no
longer operational
The Equatorial/South Pacific System
Ecuador
 Instituto Oceanográfico de la Armada (INOCAR) – Navy Oceanographic Institute
http://www.inocar.mil.ec
• Process SST L4 GHRSST/OSTIA
• 7 operational coastal meteorological stations
• Produce tidal charts for 19 locations
The Equatorial/South Pacific System
Peru
 Instituto del Mar del Perú (IMARPE) - Oceanographic Institute
http://www.imarpe.pe/imarpe/index.php?id_seccion=I0108040600000000000000
• Modeling studies of the dynamics of the marine
circulation ecosystem associated with Peru Current
and Peru Coastal Current, off Peru
• ROMS-AGRIF was implemented in cooperation
with
the Institut de Recherche pour le
Développement (IRD)
The Equatorial/South Pacific System
Peru

Dirección de Hidrografía y Navegación (DHN)
http://www.naylamp.dhn.mil.pe/
• The Directorate of Hydrography and
Navigation
has
an
ocean-atmosphere
surveillance system of the Peruvian sea
called NAYLAMP
• Wave model (WW3) is operational in 2 grids
(Global – 1º x 1º and Peru 0.25º x 0.25º) with
5 days forecasts (12 h outputs)
• ROMS is used to provide boundary conditions
for the coastal models that are implemented at
DHN, such as POM and DELFT-3D
Animation of the annual cycle of the
ocean circulation
The Equatorial/South Pacific System
Chile

Sistema integrado de pronósticos oceanográficos
(SIPO) - Integrated System of Oceanographic Forecasts
http://www.sipocostachile.cl/cms/index.php?option=com_wr
apper&view=wrapper&Itemid=21
•
Joint effort of one research center (CEAZA) and two
universities (UCN, UdeC)
•
Combined atmospheric and oceanographic modelling
(WRF, MM5, ROMS, FVCOM) with biophysical modelling
and hydrographic studies
 MERCATOR (MyOcean) → ROMS_AGRIF (9,3,1 km)
 WRF + ROMS (9km) → FVCOM
 Servicio Hydrografico y Oceanografico runs the
national alert system for tsunamis based on 35 sea level
monitoring stations (http://www.snamchile.cl))
Summary
•
Although operational oceanography efforts are generally associated with the Navy, each
country is at a different stage, and apart from wave forecasts, Brazil seems to be the only
country that has a regional oceanic forecast system in use
•
Chile build up an oceanic forecast system, which due to lack of funds was interrupted. There
are ongoing efforts to revitalize the system
•
A better collaboration among these countries could be established to help the development
and future implementation of the forecast systems
•
In the specific case of Brazil, REMO started in 2008 and in 2011 it has joined the GODAE
Oceanview. The project is now renewed for a 3-year period (2012-2014), but the budget
is limited and alternative ways of funding future developments should be evaluated
Future Plans
 Brazilian system
•
Operational phase for the fixed regional grids along the Brazilian coast: i) E
(2013), ii) S-SE (2013) and iii) N-NE (2014)
•
Final configuration and release of the hydrodynamic databases for the above grids
with validations based on the GODAE Oceanview metrics
•
Improve the HYCOM/REMO (Basin) and ROMS/REMO (Regional) operational
models, with better data assimilation schemes (e.g. 4DVAR, EnOI). That would give
us full autonomy to provide our own models initial and BCs
 Chilean system
•
Chilean Navy is currently working on the implementation of their own current and
wave forecast (due mid-2013)
Thank you
References
Marta-Almeida M, Pereira J, Cirano M. Development of a pilot Brazilian regional operational ocean forecast system,
REMO-OOF. Journal of Operational Oceanography, 2011, 4(2), 3-15.
Marta-Almeida M, Ruiz-Villarreal M, Otero P, Cobas M, Peliz A, Nolasco R, Cirano M, Pereira J. OOFε: A Python engine for
automating regional and coastal ocean forecasts. Environmental Modelling & Software, 2011, 26, 680-682.
Marta-Almeida M, Ruiz-Villarreal M, Pereira J, Otero P, Cirano M, Zhanga X, Hetland RD. Efficient tools for marine
operational forecast and oil spill tracking. Marine Pollution Bulletin (accepted).
Amorim FN, Cirano M, Marta-Almeida M, Campos EJD. The Seasonal Circulation of the Eastern Brazilian Shelf between
10°S and 16°S: a modeling approach. Continental Shelf Research (submitted).
Aguiar AL, Cirano M, Pereira, J & Marta-Almeida M Upwelling Processes along a Western Boundary Current: the AbrolhosCampos Region, Brazil. Continental Shelf Research (submitted).
França GB, Oliveira AN, Paes RCOV, Ruivo BC, Gaspar RLR, Dutra H, Sartori A. Applying Barnes’ technique for daily SST
(AVHRR and TRMM/microwave) images composition. Brazilian Journal of Geophysics REMO SI (submitted).
Lima JA, Martins RP, Tanajura CAS, Paiva AM, Campos EJD, Soares ID, Cirano M, França GB, Obino RS. Design and
implementation of the Oceanographic Modeling and Observation Network (REMO) for physical oceanography and ocean
forecasting. Brazilian Journal of Geophysics REMO SI (submitted).
Monteiro I, Soares I, Piovesan R, Oliveira H, Lima JAM & Martins RP. An application of the Mellor & Ezer Method for Data
Assimilation in the South Atlantic Ocean. Brazilian Journal of Geophysics REMO SI (submitted).
Pereira J, Cirano M, Marta-Almeida M & Amorim FN. A numerical study of the Brazilian shelf/slope region south of 13°S
using a regional ocean model. Brazilian Journal of Geophysics REMO SI (submitted).