Rapid Assessment ofthe Coastal Ocean Environment
211
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~----------------------------Fig.11.2 Rapid Response exercise domains ofthe years 1996 to 98. Ocean models were set
up for the three large domains and a nested sub dom ain.
11.6.1 Location and Characterization of Operational Regions
Rapid Response 1996 and its subsequent naval exercise (both referred to hereafter simply as RR96) took place in the Strait of Sicily and the adjoining westem Ionian Sea from mid-August to early October. RR97 spanned the entire Ionian also
from mid-August to early October a year later, followed by RR98 in the Gulf of
Cadiz just west of the Strait of Gibraltar, only four months later in February and
March. Nested modeling domains were utilized in all cases as appropriate for antisubmarine warfare (ASW), mine warfare (MW) and amphibious warfare (AW).
Fig. 11.2 depicts the largest ASW domain for each exercise and also the MW
domain off the westem coast of Greece for RR97.
With respect to the phases of development concept for regional forecast systems
these regions differed. During the 1980s Physical Oceanography of the Eastem
Mediterranean (POEM) program (Robinson and Malanotte-Rizzoli, 1993) quasisynoptic basin scale surveys of the Ionian Sea were carried out with the sub-bas in
scale and coarse mesoscale resolution, and the circulation and water masses have
been synthesized by Malanotte-Rizzoli et al (1997). Thus the 1997 exercise served
as a predictive phase forecast verification experiment. Prior to RR96 our Harvard
and SACLANTCEN research groups were collaborating in Strait of Sicily research
and had carried out research cruises there with real-time at-sea forecasting and data
assimilation in 1994 and 1995 (Robinson et al, 1999b). A dynamical phase cruise
was already planned for 1996 before RR96 was scheduled which was subsequently
carried out in conjunction. Thus excellent synoptic flow and water mass data was
available for the region with mesoscale and sub-mesoscale resolution (Robinson et
al, 1999b; Wam-Vamas et al, 1999) and we regard RR96 as a combined dynamicall
predictive phase exercise. The Gulf of Cadiz presented a complex and generally
less well understood region for which we were not able to locate a prior synoptic
211
~ ~
~
~----------------------------Fig.11.2 Rapid Response exercise domains ofthe years 1996 to 98. Ocean models were set
up for the three large domains and a nested sub dom ain.
11.6.1 Location and Characterization of Operational Regions
Rapid Response 1996 and its subsequent naval exercise (both referred to hereafter simply as RR96) took place in the Strait of Sicily and the adjoining westem Ionian Sea from mid-August to early October. RR97 spanned the entire Ionian also
from mid-August to early October a year later, followed by RR98 in the Gulf of
Cadiz just west of the Strait of Gibraltar, only four months later in February and
March. Nested modeling domains were utilized in all cases as appropriate for antisubmarine warfare (ASW), mine warfare (MW) and amphibious warfare (AW).
Fig. 11.2 depicts the largest ASW domain for each exercise and also the MW
domain off the westem coast of Greece for RR97.
With respect to the phases of development concept for regional forecast systems
these regions differed. During the 1980s Physical Oceanography of the Eastem
Mediterranean (POEM) program (Robinson and Malanotte-Rizzoli, 1993) quasisynoptic basin scale surveys of the Ionian Sea were carried out with the sub-bas in
scale and coarse mesoscale resolution, and the circulation and water masses have
been synthesized by Malanotte-Rizzoli et al (1997). Thus the 1997 exercise served
as a predictive phase forecast verification experiment. Prior to RR96 our Harvard
and SACLANTCEN research groups were collaborating in Strait of Sicily research
and had carried out research cruises there with real-time at-sea forecasting and data
assimilation in 1994 and 1995 (Robinson et al, 1999b). A dynamical phase cruise
was already planned for 1996 before RR96 was scheduled which was subsequently
carried out in conjunction. Thus excellent synoptic flow and water mass data was
available for the region with mesoscale and sub-mesoscale resolution (Robinson et
al, 1999b; Wam-Vamas et al, 1999) and we regard RR96 as a combined dynamicall
predictive phase exercise. The Gulf of Cadiz presented a complex and generally
less well understood region for which we were not able to locate a prior synoptic