A Regional Model of the ocean near Iceland

We present a regional setup of the MOM4 ocean circulation model for the ocean around Iceland. Model results from the global OCCAM model are used for the regional model initial and lateral boundary conditions. The control run uses forcing from the ERA40 and the NCEP reanalyses. The main features of the current system around Iceland are fairly well represented in the model, i.e. The North Atlantic Current, the Irminger Current, the East Greenland Current and the East Icelandic Current. However a comparison of model results to hydrographic measurements reveals certain biases in temperature and salinity in the Irminger Sea. Also, the position of the Iceland-Faroe Front in the model is farther north along the east coast of Iceland than in reality. We discuss sensitivity experiments where the wind stress is changed in accordance with the variations that occur as part of the North Atlantic Oscillation, and also experiments where the influence of runoff from Iceland on the surrounding ocean circulation is examined.