Coupling a Bottom Boundary Layer in the Generalized Terrain-Following Coordinate System


Y. Tony Song and Yi Chao

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California 91109




A wave-enhanced Bottom Boundary Layer (BBL) scheme is incorporated into the generalized terrain-following coordinate system. The method is based on the combined techniques of the generalized vertical coordinate system Kasahara (1974), the general pressure gradient formulation of Song (1998), and the embedded BBL scheme of Song and Chao (2000). A suite of process-oriented test problems will be used to evaluate the accuracy and efficiency of the new scheme. A science application with the coupled eddy-sediment transport in a coastal ocean model will be presented. The objective of the study is to develop a general vertical coordinate capability with hybrid Z-, Isopycnal, and Sigma-coordinate features to better represent the subgridscale mixing and BBL processes. The developed techniques will be first applied to the ONR-initiated Expert Modeling System for future ocean nowcast/forecast applications.