Nowcast System Development for the Straits of Florida

by Christopher N. K. Mooers, Univ of Miami, Miami, United States,
Dong-Shan Ko, Univ of Miami, Miami, United States,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Estuarine and Coastal Modeling

Abstract:

As part of the inaugural program for the Ocean Pollution Research Center at the University of Miami, a nowcast system is being developed for the Straits of Florida. The nowcast system is based on the Mellor-Blumberg primitive equation model and is implemented on a rectangular grid. It is run with mesoscale (eddy) resolution and is forced by winds and a Florida Current `feature model' at the inflow boundary, plus outflow boundary conditions to conserve mass and prevent back reflection. The objectives of the nowcast system development are (1) to estimate the transient circulation for the Straits of Florida, including Florida Current meanders and mesoscale fronts and eddies and, (2) to estimate the (advective and dispersive) transport of pollutants, especially oil spills. Initial steps in this initiative are described, including model-data comparisons, sensitivity studies, and observing system strategy.

Subject Headings: Water pollution | Sensitivity analysis | Hazardous materials spills | Eddy (fluid dynamics) | Domain boundary | Water circulation | Outflow | Florida | United States

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