Record Details

Evaluation of a coastal ocean circulation model for the Columbia River plume in summer 2004

ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University

Field Value
Title Evaluation of a coastal ocean circulation model for the Columbia River plume in summer 2004
Names Liu, Yonggang (creator)
MacCready, Parker (creator)
Hickey, Barbara M. (creator)
Dever, Edward P. (creator)
Kosro, P. Michael, 1951- (creator)
Banas, Neil S. (creator)
Date Issued 2009 (iso8601)
Note copyrighted by American Geophysical Union
Abstract Realistic hindcast of the Columbia River estuarine-plume-shelf circulation in summer
2004 using the Regional Ocean Modeling System nested within the Navy Coastal Ocean
Model (NCOM) is quantitatively evaluated with an extensive set of observations. The
model has about equal skill at tidal and subtidal properties. Tidal circulation and water
properties are best simulated in the estuary, which is strongly forced and damped, but
worst on the shelf. Subtidal currents are again best in the estuary. However, subtidal
temperature and salinity are best simulated in the surface waters on the shelf, even inside
the river plume. A comprehensive skill assessment method is proposed to evaluate the
cross-scale modeling system with a focus on the plume. The model domain is divided into
five dynamical regions: estuary, near- and far-field plume, near surface and deep layers. A
skill score is obtained for each region by averaging the skills of different physical variables,
and an overall skill is obtained by averaging the skills across the five regions. This
weighting metric results in more skill weight per unit volume in the near surface layer where
the plume is trapped and in the estuary. It is also demonstrated, through model/data
comparison and skill assessment, that by nesting within NCOM, some important remote
forcing, e.g., coastal trapped waves, are added to our model; on the other hand, some biases
are also received. With a finer grid and more realistic forcing, our regional model improves
skill over a larger-scale model in modeling the shelf-plume circulation.
Genre Article
Identifier Banas, N. S., Dever, E. P., Hickey, B. M., Kosro, P. M., Liu, Y., and MacCready, P., (2009). Evaluation of a coastal ocean circulation model for the Columbia River plume in summer 2004. J. Geophys. Res., 114, C00B04.

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