Upgrade to NOAA WAVEWATCH III Model
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TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICE 07-51...AMENDED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
208 PM EDT MON SEP 17 2007
TO: FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER
WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...EMERGENCY MANAGERS
WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK /EMWIN/SUBSCRIBERS...
OTHER NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ PARTNERS
AND OTHER USERS...NWS EMPLOYEES
FROM: PAUL HIRSCHBERG
CHIEF...SCIENCE PLANS BRANCH
OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY /OST/
SUBJECT: AMENDED: UPGRADE TO NOAA WAVEWATCH III MODEL:
EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 18 2007
REFER TO: TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICE /TIN/ 07-51
TRANSMITTED ON AUG 2 2007
AMENDED TO INFORM USERS THAT THE REGIONAL WAVE PRODUCTS WILL BE
DELAYED BY 15 MINUTES ONCE THIS IMPLEMENTATION BECOMES EFFECTIVE.
THE TIMELINESS OF THE GLOBAL WAVE PRODUCTS WILL NOT BE IMPACTED.
EFFECTIVE TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 18 2007...WITH THE 1200 COORDINATED
UNIVERSAL TIME /UTC/ RUN...THE NATIONAL CENTERS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL
PREDICTION /NCEP/ WILL UPGRADE THE NOAA WAVEWATCH III /NWW3/
MODEL.
THE FOLLOWING CHANGES BELOW WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE NWW3
MODEL SYSTEM:
- A MULTI-GRID GLOBAL MODEL THAT PROVIDES FORECAST PRODUCTS
ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT GRIDS. ALL THE GRIDS HAVE INTERNAL
TWO-WAY COUPLING AND EXCHANGE INFORMATION DURING THE
COMPUTATION CYCLE. THE NEW GRIDS ARE:
- A 30 MINUTE RESOLUTION GLOBAL GRID.
- THREE 10 MINUTE RESOLUTION REGIONAL
GRIDS COVERING
THE UNITED STATES /US/ EAST/WEST COASTS AND EASTERN
PACIFIC ISLANDS INCLUDING HAWAII.
- AN ALASKA REGIONAL GRID WITH A 15 MINUTE RESOLUTION
IN LONGITUDE AND A 10 MINUTE RESOLUTION IN LATITUDE.
- TWO 4 MINUTE RESOLUTION COASTAL GRIDS FOR THE US
EAST/WEST COASTS. THE US WEST COAST GRID ALSO
INCLUDES THE COASTAL WATERS OF THE
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
- AN ALASKAN COASTAL GRID WITH A RESOLUTION OF 8
MINUTES IN LONGITUDE AND 4 MINUTES IN LATITUDE.
- FIELD OUTPUT WILL BE AVAILABLE IN GRIB2 FORMAT.
- THE ENERGY SPECTRUM WILL BE PROPERLY PARTITIONED.
- THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL OUTPUT GRIDS WILL BE AVAILABLE:
- PARTITIONED WAVE HEIGHT DATA FOR WIND SEAS-KPDS
ID=102 PRIMARY SWELLS-KPDS ID=105-LEVEL 1
SECONDARY SWELLS-KPDS ID=105-LEVEL 2
- PARTITIONED PEAK PERIOD DATA FOR WIND SEAS-KPDS
ID=103 PRIMARY SWELLS-KPDS ID=106-LEVEL 1
SECONDARY SWELLS-KPDS ID=106-LEVEL 2
- PARTITIONED MEAN DIRECTION FOR WIND SEAS-KPDS ID=101
PRIMARY SWELLS-KPDS ID=104-LEVEL 1
SECONDARY SWELLS-KPDS ID=104-LEVEL 2
- MINOR CHANGES TO THE PHYSICS INCLUDING:
- LINEAR WAVE GROWTH TERM TO IMPROVE INITIAL WAVE
GROWTH RESULTS
- A SURF ZONE BREAKING TERM TO PROVIDE MORE REALISTIC
ESTIMATES OF WAVE HEIGHT FOR LAND FALLING
TROPICAL SYSTEMS.
- THE FORECAST RUN WILL NOW START NINE FORECAST HOURS PRIOR
TO THE ORIGINATING TIME OF THE CYCLE AS OPPOSED TO SIX
HOURS PRIOR ALLOWING FOR THREE ADDITIONAL HOURS OF
ASSIMILATION. FORECAST OUTPUT CONTINUES OUT TO 180
HOURS.
THIS UPGRADED FORECAST SYSTEM WILL BE USED TO REPLACE THE CURRENT
GRIDDED OUTPUT OF THE NOAA WAVEWATCH III MODELING SYSTEM. THE
FOLLOWING GRIDS...WHICH ARE AVAILABLE ON NOAAPORT...WILL BE
IMPACTED BY THE UPGRADE MODELING SYSTEM:
- EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC /ENP/
- WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC /WNA/
- ALASKAN WATERS /AKW/
THE PRODUCTS/GRIDS WHICH ARE DISSEMINATED TO NOAAPORT AND/OR THE
SATELLITE BROADCAST NETWORK /SBN/ WILL NOT BE CHANGED IN VOLUME
OR CONTENT.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS CONCERNING THESE CHANGES...PLEASE
CONTACT:
HENDRIK TOLMAN
NCEP/EMC...CHIEF MARINE MODELING BRANCH
CAMP SPRINGS MARYLAND
PHONE: 301 763 8000 X7253
EMAIL:HENDRIK.TOLMAN@NOAA.GOV
THIS AND OTHER NWS TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICES ARE AVAILABLE
ONLINE AT:
www.nws.noaa.gov/om/notif.htm