Author(s): Aniello Russo; Sandro Carniel; Andrea Valentini
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Hydrodynamic model; Wave-current-sediment transport modeling; Adriatic Sea; ROMS; COAWST
Abstract: The Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS, www. myroms. org) is a community, three-dimensional, hydrostatic, finite difference model resolving the Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes equations. From the first Adriatic Sea implementation in its purely hydrodynamic configuration that traces back to more than ten years ago, to the last configuration under the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport (COAWST) system, including wave-current-sediment interactions, several specific applications covering a wide range of spatial and temporal scales have been put forward, developed in a growing number of fields. Most of the ROMS-based Adriatic applications derive air-sea heat, momentum and water fluxes from the operational meteorological model COSMO-I7, the Italian implementation at 7 km horizontal resolution of COSMO (Consortium for Small-scale Modeling) Model, a limited-area non-hydrostatic model. Presently, a ROMS operational implementation provides every day hydrodynamic and sea level forecasts for the following three days at 2 km resolution, while another one implementing a Fasham-like module provides basic biogeochemical forecasts, and a third one at finer resolution (0. 5 km in the northern sub-basin) two-way coupled with a wave-averaging model (Simulating Waves Nearshore, SWAN) is now well ahead in its pre-operational test phase. Such operational models provide support for several applications, from scientific to civil and environmental protection ones (e. g., driving specialized models for prediction of: oil-spill dispersion, storm surge, coastal morphodynamic changes during storms, saline wedge intrusion along Po River), in a growing context of stake-holders at regional, national and international level. Besides operational implementations, ROMS and COAWST research based activities are carried out, mostly aiming at investigating sediment transport, coastal dynamics and environmental aspects (e. g. circulation and thermohaline interannual variability, eggs and larvae dispersion of small pelagic fishes, hypoxic events) of this semi-enclosed sea, demonstrating the relevance of a numerical model having several state-of-the-art capabilities, such as advanced vertical mixing schemes, an up-to-date bottom boundary layer description, wetting and drying capabilities, wave-current interactions and biogeochemical modules, etc. Moreover, coupled applications using both one-way and two-way successive nesting allowed to reach very high resolutions nearshore the Italian coast, and to simulate river mouth environments and artificial reefs. Resulting outputs, written in NetCDF CF compliant format, are delivered via THREDDS Data Server to a growing number of users around the world. The contribution presents a review of success stories and a survey of on-going efforts.
Year: 2013