370 Nadia Pinardi et al.
1) The large scale observing and forecasting system, hereafter called large scale
MFS, based upon the monitoring system of Fig. 17.6 and 17.7, a large scale
MOM implementation and the SOFA data assimilation system (De Meyand
Benkiran, 2001);
2) The shelf scale observing system;
3) The regional Adriatic Sea model (AREG) nested within the large-scale MFS
model and coupled asynchronously with atmospheric analyses that produce surface forcing fluxes. It is based upon the POM code;
4) The Northem Adriatic Sea shelf model (ASHELF) nested within AREG and
coupled asynchronously with atmospheric analyses. It is based upon the POM
code;
5) An ecosystem model implemented in a selected coastal area station with realistic atmospheric forcing.
The five components are at a different stage of development. The first element is
operational at the weekly time scale, i.e., once a week a 10 days forecast is disseminated in near real time. The horizontal resolution of the analyses and forecasts is
12.5xI2.5 km and alI the elements of the observing system are assimilated in the
initial condition. Some ofthe results are presented in Pinardi et al. (2001) and are
available on the Web (http://www.cineca.it/mfspp).
The second element is composed of the CTD stations in the near coastal areas
shown in Fig. 17.8, giving temperature and salinity measurements every two-three
weeks. The system is not automated yet but information is easily exchanged due to
the relatively few data collected each time (20 meters maximum depth and 20 stations). In addition to the monitoring stations on the narrow coastal and shelfbreak
areas, a quasi-permanent SI station is also present. Different multidisciplinary data
sets have been collected at this station during the past ten years and we used such
data to calibrate/validate the ecosystem models. The CTD stations are used for the
hydrodynamic model vaIidation but are not yet assimilated.
The third element of the system, the AREG model, is at 5-km resolution and is
coupled at an open boundary to the large-scale MFS model. In Fig. 17.10 the
AREG open boundary is shown with respect to the MFS grid ne sting. The AREG
model is coupled asynchronously to atmospheric surf ace analyses that are downscaled to 5 km by simple interpolation. The lateral ne sting boundary conditions are
the imposition from MFS fields of the total velocity, temperature and salinity at
inflow points and advection of temperature and salinity at outflow points. Several
interpolation and consistency constraints have been constructed to alIow the models to communicate the appropriate values of volume transport and temperature,
salinity across the open boundary.
The ASHELF model is nested within the AREG (Fig. 17.10) and is at the resolution of 1.5 km. The ASHELF model has the same air-sea interaction physics ofthe
AREG model and it is coupled asynchronously to atmospheric forcing analyses.
The minimum depth of ASHELF is 3 m while for AREG the minimum depth is 10
meters. Thus the two model bathymetries differ in the narrow coastal strip area so
1) The large scale observing and forecasting system, hereafter called large scale
MFS, based upon the monitoring system of Fig. 17.6 and 17.7, a large scale
MOM implementation and the SOFA data assimilation system (De Meyand
Benkiran, 2001);
2) The shelf scale observing system;
3) The regional Adriatic Sea model (AREG) nested within the large-scale MFS
model and coupled asynchronously with atmospheric analyses that produce surface forcing fluxes. It is based upon the POM code;
4) The Northem Adriatic Sea shelf model (ASHELF) nested within AREG and
coupled asynchronously with atmospheric analyses. It is based upon the POM
code;
5) An ecosystem model implemented in a selected coastal area station with realistic atmospheric forcing.
The five components are at a different stage of development. The first element is
operational at the weekly time scale, i.e., once a week a 10 days forecast is disseminated in near real time. The horizontal resolution of the analyses and forecasts is
12.5xI2.5 km and alI the elements of the observing system are assimilated in the
initial condition. Some ofthe results are presented in Pinardi et al. (2001) and are
available on the Web (http://www.cineca.it/mfspp).
The second element is composed of the CTD stations in the near coastal areas
shown in Fig. 17.8, giving temperature and salinity measurements every two-three
weeks. The system is not automated yet but information is easily exchanged due to
the relatively few data collected each time (20 meters maximum depth and 20 stations). In addition to the monitoring stations on the narrow coastal and shelfbreak
areas, a quasi-permanent SI station is also present. Different multidisciplinary data
sets have been collected at this station during the past ten years and we used such
data to calibrate/validate the ecosystem models. The CTD stations are used for the
hydrodynamic model vaIidation but are not yet assimilated.
The third element of the system, the AREG model, is at 5-km resolution and is
coupled at an open boundary to the large-scale MFS model. In Fig. 17.10 the
AREG open boundary is shown with respect to the MFS grid ne sting. The AREG
model is coupled asynchronously to atmospheric surf ace analyses that are downscaled to 5 km by simple interpolation. The lateral ne sting boundary conditions are
the imposition from MFS fields of the total velocity, temperature and salinity at
inflow points and advection of temperature and salinity at outflow points. Several
interpolation and consistency constraints have been constructed to alIow the models to communicate the appropriate values of volume transport and temperature,
salinity across the open boundary.
The ASHELF model is nested within the AREG (Fig. 17.10) and is at the resolution of 1.5 km. The ASHELF model has the same air-sea interaction physics ofthe
AREG model and it is coupled asynchronously to atmospheric forcing analyses.
The minimum depth of ASHELF is 3 m while for AREG the minimum depth is 10
meters. Thus the two model bathymetries differ in the narrow coastal strip area so