Observations and modeling of the

1
Observations and modeling of the shelf
circulation north of the Monterey Bay during
August 2006

• Thesis Goals
• Analyze Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP)
  and wind data
• Comparison with nowcasts from three numerical
  models
• - Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS)
• - Harvard Ocean Prediction System (HOPS)
• - Navy Coastal Ocean Model (NCOM)

ENS Rebecca Wolf Advisor Professor Steven Ramp
Model Predictions
Completed June 2007
ADCP Time Series
Along Shelf Component (cm/s) ADCP 1 Surface
10.25m
Components and Statistical Analysis
Center grid point
Optimal Spatial Correlation with Corresponding
Lag
Observations Barotropic poleward flow
indicates remote forcing in
alongshelf component Wind forcing is evident
in across-shelf component
Center grid point with Corresponding Lag
Conclusions

• Both local and remote forcing were active on the
  continental shelf near Point Año Nuevo.
• Initializing parameters prove to be important
  considerations for numerical models
• Overall HOPS Nested model reproduced the best
  representations of the currents for the time
  period