The NCOF Partners are:
Deep Ocean Modelling
Click here for the sample daily updated North Atlantic FOAM Forecast
Since October 1997, the global Forecasting Ocean Assimilation Model (FOAM) has run daily, forecasting 3-dimensional ocean currents, temperature, salinity and sea ice concentration, thickness and velocity. A key feature of FOAM is the assimilation of observational data into physically-based ocean and sea-ice models to ensure an accurate representation of the current ocean state. The model is then forced by 6-hourly forecast winds form the Met Office numerical weather prediction (NWP) system, to forecast how the ocean and ice will evolve over the following five days.
In addition to the global version of FOAM, higher resolution five day forecast are run daily in the configurations shown in the table below. All configurations have 20 vertical levels. The regional versions of FOAM are nested within the global model to provide conditions at their boundaries. The model is relocateable, so new configurations can be nested within the system where required.
| Domain (Click for example model grid field) | Resolution latitude x longitude degrees |
| Global | 1 x 1 |
| Atlantic and Arctic | 1/3 x 1/3 (35 km), Rotated grid, approx 30S - 90N, 90W - 20E |
| North Atlantic | 1/9 x 1/9 (12 km), Rotated grid, approx 20N - 80N, 90W - 20E |
| Mediterranean | 1/9 x 1/9 (12 km), Standard grid, 30N - 47.5N, 05.5W - 42E |
| Indian Ocean | 1/3 x 1/3 (35 km), Standard grid, 25S - 31N, 33E - 106E |
| Arabian Gulf | 1/9 x 1/9 (12 km), Rotated grid, approx 0N - 30N, 40E - 80E |
| Antarctica | 1/4 x 1/4 (30 km), Rotated grid, maximum northward extent approx 45S |
Observations from the previous 10 days are assimilated (with variable weighting), including:
- temperature and salinity profiles including data from Argo profiling floats and the TAO/TRITON and PIRATA moored arrays.
- sea-surface height data from satellite altimeters such as Jason-1 (in regional FOAM configurations).
- ship, buoy and satellite sea-surface temperature observations.
- sea-ice concentration fields received from the Canadian Meteorological Centre.
At higher resolutions, the models are able to resolve dynamic features like ocean eddies, fronts and jets.
Further details of model description and validation are presented in the following pages:
We have rated each of the deep ocean model configurations in terms of their science, validation against real-world measurements and range of application. To view these ratings please link to the Operational Forecast Model Capability Tables.
For further information or to give some feedback on these pages, please use the NCOF site Enquiry Form.
(Last Updated: 04-02-2008)