72 George L. Mellor, Sirpa M. Hăkkinen, TaI Ezer and Richard C. Patchen
In the final analysis, the straight cr coordinate grid may be a good choice for
many ocean applications, including basin-scale climate calculations (Ezer 1999,
Ezer and Mellor 1997). Song and Haidvogel (1994) claim that adequate resolution
of the surf ace layers are a significant advantage of the s - coordinate grid. However,
if the vertical grid spacing is, say, logarithmically reduced near the surf ace to adequately resolve the surface layer in the deepest portions of the model domain, then
the only penalty of the cr grid is that, in the shallower portions, the surf ace layers
are over resolved. In any case, the new algorithm, developed here for a widely used
sigma coordinate ocean model (POM), provides a tool to further investigate the differences between ditTerent grids, and provides more flexibility for users to optimize their grids for particular applications.
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the Oftice of Naval Research grant NOOI4-930037 and by the computational support and facilities ofNOAA's Geophysical Fluid
Dynamics Laboratory.
In the final analysis, the straight cr coordinate grid may be a good choice for
many ocean applications, including basin-scale climate calculations (Ezer 1999,
Ezer and Mellor 1997). Song and Haidvogel (1994) claim that adequate resolution
of the surf ace layers are a significant advantage of the s - coordinate grid. However,
if the vertical grid spacing is, say, logarithmically reduced near the surf ace to adequately resolve the surface layer in the deepest portions of the model domain, then
the only penalty of the cr grid is that, in the shallower portions, the surf ace layers
are over resolved. In any case, the new algorithm, developed here for a widely used
sigma coordinate ocean model (POM), provides a tool to further investigate the differences between ditTerent grids, and provides more flexibility for users to optimize their grids for particular applications.
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the Oftice of Naval Research grant NOOI4-930037 and by the computational support and facilities ofNOAA's Geophysical Fluid
Dynamics Laboratory.