Michael Bates, Climate Change Research Centre, University of New South Wales
Abstract: Convection and down slope flows in global scale, level, ocean climate models are sub grid scale processes. Some recent studies have indicated non-trivial deficiencies in the representation of these processes in level ocean climate models. These studies have motivated a renewed effort by the ocean modelling community to search for more realistic parameterisations of these processes.
A new framework for the representation of open ocean convection and down slope flows is presented. The framework involves the embedding a Lagrangian model within the Modular Ocean Model (a generalised level coordinate ocean model). The Lagrangian model is able to transport properties with a different set of dynamics to that of the main Eulerian model. The Lagrangian framework also admits the exchange of properties (entrainment and detrainment) between the Eulerian model and the embedded Lagrangian model.
In order to implement the Lagrangian framework, a number of numerical techniques that are not frequently used in ocean modelling have been employed. The framework is not yet fully implemented, so this talk will give an overview of the framework, a survey of what has been achieved thus far and some prospects for the future.