Northern Levantine Shelf (IMS - METU)

Originally, in the MFSTEP project, the Cilician Basin / Shelf Model (V0) based on the POM has been adapted for studying the shelf circulation in the Cilician Basin – Gulf of ?skenderun region of the Levantine Basin (V1) of the eastern Mediterranean between the Turkish Mediterranean coast, Syria and the island of Cyprus. The model domain covered the eastern part of the northern Levantine Sea. Later in the ECOOP, the model domain has been extended westwards, to cover the entire northern Levantine shelf area, extending from the Island of Rhodos to the Syrian coast with the same resolution as the original Cilician Basin / Shelf Model.

Daily forecasts for the Cilician Basin and Northern Levantine regions can be found at the

http://linux-server.ims.metu.edu.tr/kilikya

and

http://linux-server.ims.metu.edu.tr/klevant

adresses respectively. The model initial conditions and open boundary conditions are supplied by the ALERMO regional model of the Levantine Sea, while interactive surface flux boundary conditions are specified by an atmospheric boundary layer sub-model using model calculated water properties and surface atmospheric variables supplied by the Skiron atmospheric model providing atmospheric surface data at 5 minutes horizontal resolution on an hourly basis. Both model configurations are initialized with data from 5 days before the current time and run for 10 days, giving 5 days of forecasts every day.

Northern Levantine Basin / Shelf 28.100°E - 36.245°E; 35.120°N - 36.929°N

Based on POM98 (Özsoy and Sözer, developed under MFSTEP)

Daily

Dl= 0.01500°, Df= 0.01206° (1.35 km in both directions).

* 28 sigma vertical levels * free surface

generated from UNESCO bathymetric contours, making limited use of the US Navy DBDB1 for shallow regions

* surface fluxes of momentum, heat and water are calculated interactively specified by an atmospheric boundary layer sub-model, using ocean model surface properties and surface atmospheric variables from the Skiron ETA atmospheric model at 1/6o × 1/6o resolution. * Hourly frequency

* In cases of outflow T,S are advected upstream while in cases of inflow T,S are directly prescribed from the parent ALERMO Aegean-Levantine regional model. Internal velocities and sea level are directly prescribed from the parent model. Modified Flather condition for the external velocities.

No slip lateral boundaries

Non linear bottom friction

Smagorinsky scheme

Same as lateral momentum diffusion, Prandtl number=1.

Mellor and Yamada turbulent closure

No tide

none

Temperature, salinity, u, v, w, sea level

Every 6 hours Time periods available T-120 – T+120 hours Data format netCDF, binary

Temperature, salinity and currents at surface, 100m, 500m and 800m Output frequency Daily at 12Z Time periods available T-120 – T+120 hours Data format Graphics / openDAP URL http://linux-server.ims.metu.edu.tr/klevant

http://144.122.146.136:8080/thredds/catalog/DataAll/catalog.html

The results are presented via web interfaces

http://linux-server.ims.metu.edu.tr/kilikya

and

http://linux-server.ims.metu.edu.tr/klevant.

A thredds server has been activated and the model forecast data are published through the server at

http://144.122.146.136:8080/thredds/catalog/DataAll/catalog.html.