Global ocean modeling on the Connection Machine
The authors have developed a version of the Bryan-Cox-Semtner ocean model (Bryan, 1969; Semtner, 1976; Cox, 1984) for massively parallel computers. Such models are three-dimensional, Eulerian models that use latitude and longitude as the horizontal spherical coordinates and fixed depth levels as the vertical coordinate. The incompressible Navier-Stokes equations, with a turbulent eddy viscosity, and mass continuity equation are solved, subject to the hydrostatic and Boussinesq approximations. The traditional model formulation uses a rigid-lid approximation (vertical velocity = 0 at the ocean surface) to eliminate fast surface waves. These waves would otherwise require that a very short time step be used in numerical simulations, which would greatly increase the computational cost. To solve the equations with the rigid-lid assumption, the equations of motion are split into two parts: a set of twodimensional ``barotropic`` equations describing the vertically-averaged flow, and a set of three-dimensional ``baroclinic`` equations describing temperature, salinity and deviations of the horizontal velocities from the vertically-averaged flow.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 10192013
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR--93-3327; CONF-940131--1; ON: DE94000888
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Ocean general circulation models for parallel architectures
Computer-generated Late Cretaceous oceanic circulation model