High resolution numerical simulation of the Monterey Bay area
Abstract
Ocean circulation off the west coast of the United States is driven by a variety of mechanisms, the most important of which are the seasonally varying wind stress and coastal irregularities. We use a non-hydrostatic, z-level DieCAST ocean model to simulate regional circulation in the vicinity of Monterey Bay area, California. The complex topography is accurately represented by a ghost-cell immersed boundary method (GCIBM). Satellite images often show a cyclonic eddy in the bay and an anti-cyclonic eddy outside the bay during spring and summer. We compare the simulation results with observed mooring data and compare the simulated upwelling process with the satellite images. The mean currents follow the annual cycle of the seasonal circulation. The coastal geometry plays an important role in the generation and movement of coastal eddies. We also study the effects of Monterey Submarine Canyon on the large scale coastal circulation. Quantitative comparisons between hydrostatic and non-hydrostatic models are made to investigate the importance of the non-hydrostatic effects on the coastal ocean simulation. The non-hydrostatic model predicts the vertical structure more accurately than does the hydrostatic model. We also find out the deep Canyon contributes significantly to the non-hydrostatic effects and the effects cannot be ignored in coastal ocean modeling with complex topography.
- Publication:
-
APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- November 2003
- Bibcode:
- 2003APS..DFD.MP001T