MODELING UPWELLING WITH A COUPLED ATMOSPHERE-OCEAN MESOSCALE MODEL

João P. Ferreira, Instituto de Meteorologia, Portugal
Pedro M. A. Miranda, University of Lisbon, Centro de Geofísica, Portugal


In order to study the interactions between the sea breeze and the coastal upwelling, the use of a coupled ocean/atmospheric model is required. This model must have a very good temporal and spatial resolution, to be able to realistically reproduce the upwelling regime and the sea breeze, over a limited area of the Atlantic Ocean, between SW Europe and Africa near the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. Two mesoscale models were coupled: an atmospheric model (MM5, Anthes and Warner 1978, Dudhia et al. 1993) and an ocean model (HYCOM, Bleck 2002). The coupled parameters are: the sea surface temperature, computed by the ocean model, and wind, rainfall, short and long ....