Ocean Modeling Workshop

NCEP, World Weather Building

Room 209

Camp Springs, MD

14-15 January 2008

Agenda

Version 4.3

January 10, 2008

Meeting Summary. Final 30 March 2008
Final list of attendees

Background

The NOAA Science Advisory Board on Ocean Modeling at NCEP provided a report to NOAA in July of 2004. In August 2005, NOAA responded to this report with a letter from Vice Admiral Lautenbacher to the Science Advisory Board, detailing NOAA’s response to the findings of the board. In the report and the response, NCEP has been charged to become the “computational backbone” for operational ocean modeling within NOAA. In particularly from the response to the report states that the charge is

“to develop a national backbone capability for ocean, coastal ocean and Great Lakes modeling as part of an integrated operational Earth System Model … [to] serve as the foundation for operational environmental prediction for a diverse array of customers and partners.“

Within NOAA, the primary responsibility for basin-scale modeling resides with NCEP, whereas the responsibility for regional and coastal scales is shared by partners inside and outside NOAA (NOS, OAR, IOOS Regional Associations, etc.).

We organize this workshop with two goals: 1) to identify user needs from NOAA and outside partners for the development of models and potential products within NCEP. 2) To lay the foundation for establishing broad partnerships inside and outside of NOAA for providing ocean-related forecast products and services.

NCEP needs the input from a broad range of stakeholders and partners to achieve these goals, initially with a focus on physical models. NCEP also wants attendees to focus on strategies and organizational capabilities (both for NCEP and the community). Therefore, the workshop is intentionally being kept small. Participation is by invitation only. We expect that outcomes from this workshop will result in broader science and technology workshops in the near future.

Attached is an outline of the meeting agenda. We have not been able to contact all of our requested speakers, so your name may appear without us having contacted you yet. Speakers are encouraged to contact other attendees from the attendance list for additional input. The final agenda will be provided at the workshop.

Agenda

Day 1: Goal: Assess user needs at all spatial and temporal scales (ocean–region-coast, weather-climate). Presentations are intended to be short (20 min) and focus on the goals (user needs) for this day.

09:00-09:15 Introduction of the meeting by NCEP. Louis Uccellini and Hendrik Tolman

09:15-10:15 Global and basin scale modeling

Ming Ji (OPC)

Charlie Barron (Navy)

Bob Hallberg (GFDL)

10:30-11:30 Coastal, regional and estuarine scale modeling.

Frank Aikman (NOS)

Jeff Hanson (USACE-ERDC)

Chris Mooers (IOOS)

11:30-12:30 Ecosystems.

Tony Busalacchi (ESSIC)

Jonathan Phinney (NMFS SWFCS)

Dave Schwab (GLERL)

13:00 – 16:30 Discussion on model requirements and partnerships.

To focus the discussion, we would like to address these questions.

1. What are the intersections of the missions of the groups around the table?

2. What do ecosystem modelers need to know from physical modelers and vise versa? What are the physical requirements of large scale physical models to be enabling for ecosystem and higher resolution regional physical modeling?

3. What space and time scales are needed and are available for physical and ecosystem models? How does this fit into an operational environment?

4. What accuracy is required in physical parameters for use in ecosystems models?

5. How do we validate these models and who is best positioned to do so?

Day 2: Goal: Assess available technology and partnerships. The focus will be mainly on global and regional scales, because these scales need to be resolved first in a proper backbone capability. Presentations will be approximately 20 min focusing on technical capabilities and gaps therein.

09:00-09:40 General physical models

Dale Haidvogel (Rutgers)

Yi Chao (JPL)

09:40-10:40 Basin scale physical models

Eric Chassignet (FSU)

Hendrik Tolman (NCEP)

Gregg Jacobs (NRL-Stennis).

11:00 -12:00 Regional and coastal physical models

Frank Aikman (NOS)

Bob Beardsley (WHOI)

12:00-12:40 Ecosystems modeling

Tony Busallachi (ESSIC)

Howard Townsend (NMFS)

13:30 – 15:45 Discussion on technical needs and partnerships.

In the present funding environment, it is impossible to do development effectively alone. A key way of moving forward is with practical partnerships in developing technical capabilities. How can we do this effectively? Some short presentation will be given on this topic. (Eric Chassignet, Dale Haidvogel). To focus the subsequent discussion, we would like to address these questions.

1. What are the intersections of previous and ongoing work?

2. What are the major gaps in our capabilities and capacities (see also questions of day 1)?

3. How do we optimally leverage each others activities? What are the ideal roles of operations versus research?

4. What are the major coupling issues (scales, software architectures)?

5. Where to go from here?

15:45:16:00 Wrap up and assignments.