MERCATOR

Principal Investigator

Dr Thierry de Prada
MERCATOR Océan
Parc technologique du Canal
8-10 rue Hermés
31520 Ramonville St-Agne
France

Thierry.deprada@mercator-ocean.fr

Project description

The French MERCATOR project aims at building a global ocean circulation simulation tool based on a high-resolution primitive equation model assimilating real-time data. In this context, two prototypes are developed. PAM, standing for Prototype Atlantique Nord et Méditerranée , is a very high horizontal resolution (5 to 7 km) model assimilating altimetry data. POG, standing for Prototype Ocean Global , is the first Mercator configuration to address the global ocean system.

The first Mercator prototype relies on a tropical and North Atlantic 1/3° configuration (MNATL) model and the SOFA assimilation scheme for which experience in assimilating satellite altimetry has been gained in different operational system like SOPRANE and MFSPP. It has been operating weekly since January 2001 and Mercator bulletins have been available on line to observe and predict changing ocean conditions continuously. The second prototype, PAM, will reach a pre-operational level this year.

POG was initiated mid 2000. The 1/4º horizontal resolution objective was reaffirmed in April 2001. This system benefits from the developments performed for, and more generally from the experience gained with, the PAM configuration. It should be running in a pre-operational mode during the Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE, 2003-2005). Furthermore, a lower resolution (2°) prototype, MiniPOG, is developed as well and will be operated in near real time in 2002. It allows to test different modelling and assimilation choices and to assess the POG system.

For more details, please refer to the latest progress report.

Additional information

Project started in 1998.