Small-scale variability of the current in the Strait of Bonifacio

Current dynamics in the Strait of Bonifacio (south Corsica) were investigated at a small scale during the STELLAMARE1 multidisciplinary cruise in summer 2012, using in situ measurements and modeling data. The Strait of Bonifacio is a particularly sensitive marine area in which specific conservation measures have been taken to preserve the natural environment and wild species. Good knowledge of the hydrodynamics in this area is essential to optimize the Marine Protected Area's management rules. Therefore, we used a high-resolution model (400 m) based on the MARS3D code to investigate the main flux exchanges and to formulate certain hypotheses about the formation of possible eddy structures. The aim of the present paper is first to synthetize the results obtained by combining Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler data, hydrological parameters, Lagrangian drifter data, and satellite observations such as MODIS OC5 chlorophyll a data or Metop-A AVHRR Sea Surface Temperature (SST) data. These elements are then used to validate the presence of the mesoscale eddies simulated by the model and their recurrence outside the cruise period. To complete the analysis, the response of the 3D hydrodynamical model was evaluated under two opposing wind systems and certain biases were detected. Strong velocities up to 1 m s(-1) were recorded in the east part due to the Venturi effect; a complementary system of vortices governed by Coriolis effect and west wind was observed in the west part, and horizontal stratification in the central part has been identified under typical wind condition.

Benefits of using a spectral hindcast database for wave power extraction assessment

When considering deployment of wave energy converters at a given site, it is of prime importance from both a technical and an economical point of view to accurately assess the total yearly energy that can be extracted by the given device. Especially, to be considered is the assessment of the efficiency of the device over the widest span of the sea-states spectral bandwidth. Hence, the aim of this study is to assess the biases and errors introduced on extracted power classically computed using spectral data derived from analytical functions such as a JONSWAP spectrum, compared to the power derived using actual wave spectra obtained from a spectral hindcast database.

OMIP contribution to CMIP6: experimental and diagnostic protocol for the physical component of the Ocean Model Intercomparison Project

The Ocean Model Intercomparison Project (OMIP) is an endorsed project in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6). OMIP addresses CMIP6 science questions, investigating the origins and consequences of systematic model biases. It does so by providing a framework for evaluating (including assessment of systematic biases), understanding, and improving ocean, sea-ice, tracer, and biogeochemical components of climate and earth system models contributing to CMIP6. Among the WCRP Grand Challenges in climate science (GCs), OMIP primarily contributes to the regional sea level change and near-term (climate/decadal) prediction GCs. OMIP provides (a) an experimental protocol for global ocean/sea-ice models run with a prescribed atmospheric forcing; and (b) a protocol for ocean diagnostics to be saved as part of CMIP6. We focus here on the physical component of OMIP, with a companion paper (Orr et al., 2016) detailing methods for the inert chemistry and interactive biogeochemistry. The physical portion of the OMIP experimental protocol follows the interannual Coordinated Ocean-ice Reference Experiments (CORE-II). Since 2009, CORE-I (Normal Year Forcing) and CORE-II (Interannual Forcing) have become the standard methods to evaluate global ocean/sea-ice simulations and to examine mechanisms for forced ocean climate variability. The OMIP diagnostic protocol is relevant for any ocean model component of CMIP6, including the DECK (Diagnostic, Evaluation and Characterization of Klima experiments), historical simulations, FAFMIP (Flux Anomaly Forced MIP), C4MIP (Coupled Carbon Cycle Climate MIP), DAMIP (Detection and Attribution MIP), DCPP (Decadal Climate Prediction Project), ScenarioMIP, HighResMIP (High Resolution MIP), as well as the ocean/sea-ice OMIP simulations.