High-resolution operational coastal modeling for the hydrodynamics in Korea with observed data

Abstract

High-resolution operational oceanographic system has been developing for the coastal waters of Korea using a Regional Ocean Modeling System coupled with wave model SWAN, internally coupled sediment transport model CSTMS and externally nested water quality model CE-QUAL-ICM. The hydrodynamic variables such as sea surface elevation, currents, temperature, salinity, storm surge height, and wave information are predicted twice a day in the 72 hours base. The coastal information system which is based on web-GIS system provides the predicted results with real-time monitoring data for dissemination to the public and validation of the operational model using various visualization techniques. The surface forcing for the operation model ROMS and SWAN is derived from the predicted results of the operational meteorological model WRF or UM which forecasts atmospheric data for the East China Sea and the East Sea. The open boundary condition for the down-scaled ROMS is nested with the predicted results derived from another operational model ROMS for the Yellow Sea or global operational hybrid ocean model HYCOM which forecasts ocean circulation with data assimilation. The previous results simulated 12 hours before are used as an initial condition for the operational oceanographic system. The hydrodynamic results have been calibrated with tidal surface elevation and verified with currents observed by bottom mounted acoustic current meter ADCP or AWAC data in the coastal waters of Korea. For the validation of predicted results we use real-time monitoring data such as hydrodynamic observation monitored by remote Buoy system and ocean observatory tower and 1 hour averaged surface currents derived from HF-Radar system. The suspended solid concentration image retrieved by Geostationary Ocean Color Imager of the satellite COMS will be used for the validation of the model prediction on the suspended sediment transport for the coastal waters of Korea. This high-resolution coastal operational forecasting system will be used as a part of the development of Korea Operational Oceanographic System with other operational oceanographic system. © 2012 IEEE.