Elements of Numerical Ocean Modelling

The Ocean State Forecast Service, which is one of the flagship services of ESSO-INCOIS, uses a suite of state-of-the art numerical ocean circulation and wind-wave models to generate necessary forecasts and advisories on the state of the oceans for the benefit of a large spectrum of users.

Abstract: Numerical ocean models are essentially the mathematical representation of the physical processes that govern the state of the ocean. They are extensively used in the field of oceanography to analyse and predict the behaviour of the ocean. Powerful computers are used to integrate these models to get the values of the ‘state variables’ at desired spatial/temporal intervals. This article takes a close look at the core elements of the numerical ocean modelling that serves as a virtual diving gear to delve into the unfathomable depths of the enigmatic marine world that has captured the imagination of man since time immemorial.

The author is Scientist F and Head, Ocean Modelling and Data Assimilation Group at Earth System Sciences Organisation-Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (ESSO-INCOIS). francis@incois.gov.in. The article should be cited as Francis P. A., 2020. Elements of Numerical Ocean Modelling, Geography and You, 20(6-7): 26-31