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Journal ArticleDOI

An Unstructured Grid, Finite-Volume, Three-Dimensional, Primitive Equations Ocean Model: Application to Coastal Ocean and Estuaries

TL;DR: An unstructured grid, finite-volume, three-dimensional (3D) primitive equation ocean model has been developed for the study of coastal oceanic and estuarine circulation as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: An unstructured grid, finite-volume, three-dimensional (3D) primitive equation ocean model has been developed for the study of coastal oceanic and estuarine circulation. The model consists of momentum, continuity, temperature, salinity, and density equations and is closed physically and mathematically using the Mellor and Yamada level-2.5 turbulent closure submodel. The irregular bottom slope is represented using a s-coordinate transformation, and the horizontal grids comprise unstructured triangular cells. The finite-volume method (FVM) used in this model combines the advantages of a finite-element method (FEM) for geometric flexibility and a finite-difference method (FDM) for simple discrete computation. Currents, temperature, and salinity in the model are computed in the integral form of the equations, which provides a better representation of the conservative laws for mass, momentum, and heat in the coastal region with complex geometry. The model was applied to the Bohai Sea, a semienclosed coastal ocean, and the Satilla River, a Georgia estuary characterized by numerous tidal creeks and inlets. Compared with the results obtained from the finite-difference model (ECOM-si), the new model produces a better simulation of tidal elevations and residual currents, especially around islands and tidal creeks. Given the same initial distribution of temperature in the Bohai Sea, the FVCOM and ECOM-si models show similar distributions of temperature and stratified tidal rectified flow in the interior region away from the coast and islands, but FVCOM appears to provide a better simulation of temperature and currents around the islands, barriers, and inlets with complex topography.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper introduces SELFE as an open-source code available for community use and enhancement, a new finite-element model for cross-scale ocean modeling that retains key benefits of existing semi-implicit Eulerian–Lagrangian finite-volume models, but relaxation on grids, uses higher-order shape functions for elevation, and enables superior flexibility in representing the bathymetry.

514 citations


Cites background from "An Unstructured Grid, Finite-Volume..."

  • ...Werner, 1991); UnTRIM (Casulli and Walters, 2000); ELCIRC (Zhang et al., 2004); SEOM (Iskandarani et al., 2003); FVCOM (Chen et al., 2003)) and are typically based on finite differences (POM, TRIM, ROMS, NCOM), finite elements (SEOM, ADCIRC, QUODDY), or hybrid approaches involving finite volumes (UnTRIM, ELCIRC, FVCOM)....

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  • ...Models based on the explicit mode splitting technique (POM, ROMS, FVCOM, ADCIRC, QUODDY, SEOM), in addition to having errors associated with the splitting of the internal and external modes (Shchepetkin and McWilliams, 2005), suffer from numerical stability constraints (e.g., the Courant–Friedrich–Lewy (CFL) condition) that restrict the maximum allowable time step and thus the size of the problem....

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  • ...Werner, 1991); UnTRIM (Casulli and Walters, 2000); ELCIRC (Zhang et al., 2004); SEOM (Iskandarani et al., 2003); FVCOM (Chen et al., 2003)) and are typically based on finite differences (POM, TRIM, ROMS, NCOM), finite elements (SEOM, ADCIRC, QUODDY), or hybrid approaches involving finite volumes…...

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a finite-volume formulation is presented that solves the three-dimensional, non-hydrostatic Navier-Stokes equations with the Boussinesq approximation on an unstructured, staggered, z-level grid.

399 citations


Cites methods from "An Unstructured Grid, Finite-Volume..."

  • ...The horizontal and vertical eddy viscosities are given by mH and mV, respectively, and the horizontal gradient operator is given by rH ¼ ex o ox þ ey o oy : ð5Þ Following the work of Casulli (1999), the pressure is split into its hydrostatic ph and nonhydrostatic q components with p = ph + q, where the hydrostatic pressure is defined by oph oz ¼ q0 þ qð Þg: ð6Þ Integrating this equation from z to the free surface, h, and substitution into the momentum equations (1)–(3) yields ou ot þr ðuuÞ fvþ bw ¼ 1 q0 oq ox 1 q0 ops ox g o ox ðhþ rÞ þ rH ðmHrHuÞ þ o oz mV ou oz ; ð7Þ ov ot þr ðuvÞ þ fu ¼ 1 q0 oq oy 1 q0 ops oy g o oy ðhþ rÞ þ rH ðmHrHvÞ þ o oz mV ov oz ; ð8Þ ow ot þr ðuwÞ bu ¼ 1 q0 oq oz þrH ðmHrHwÞ þ o oz mV ow oz ; ð9Þ where ps is the pressure at the free surface, and the baroclinic pressure head is given by r ¼ 1 q0 Z h z qdz: ð10Þ Integrating the continuity equation (4) from the bottom, defined by z = d(x,y), to the free-surface at z = h(x,y, t) yields the depth-averaged continuity equation oh ot þ o ox Z h d udz þ o oy Z h d vdz ¼ 0; ð11Þ where we have employed the kinematic boundary conditions at z = h and z = d, viz., oh ot þ uHjz¼h rHh ¼ wjz¼h; ð12Þ uHjz¼ d rHd ¼ wjz¼ d ; ð13Þ and the horizontal velocity vector is given by uH ¼ uex þ vey : ð14Þ Eqs....

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  • ...However, as described by Armfield and Street (2000), because qc ¼ OðDtÞ in the pressure correction algorithm, an iteration is not required in order to attain second-order accuracy....

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  • ...…2Dt qci;k qci;k 1 Dzi;k þ Dzi;k 1 ; ð76Þ followed by an update of the nonhydrostatic pressure field with qnþ1=2i;k ¼ q n 1=2 i;k þ qci;k: ð77Þ Following Armfield and Street (2000), the time level of the nonhydrostatic pressure field is specified at the halftime steps in order to maintain…...

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  • ...Following the limitations derived by Fletcher (1997) when explicit central differencing is employed for advection of momentum and horizontal diffusion is treated explicitly, the time step is limited by jU jDt Dj þ jwjDt Dz 2 6 2mHDt D2j 6 1: ð83Þ Assuming a stable interpolation scheme is employed for horizontal advection of scalars, stability for the scalar advection equations is determined by Dt 6 min DjjU j ; D2j maxðcH;jHÞ !...

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  • ...However, because the nonhydrostatic pressure is staggered in time with respect to the velocity (qn±1/2 about Un), the second-order Adams–Bashforth extrapolation scheme is used to compute the pressure at the final time step (Armfield and Street, 2000)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a new global ocean model (MPASO-Ocean) capable of using enhanced resolution in selected regions of the ocean domain is described and evaluated, and three simulations using different grids are presented.

305 citations


Cites background from "An Unstructured Grid, Finite-Volume..."

  • ...New multi-resolution approaches, both structured and unstructured, are emerging with applications focused on regional and coastal ocean modeling (Chen et al., 2003; Danilov et al., 2004; Shchepetkin and McWilliams, 2005; White et al., 2008)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this review, status of trace metal contamination in the Bohai Sea is assessed based on a comprehensive review of their concentrations recorded in the waters, sediments and organisms over the past decades.

288 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, Chen et al. developed an unstructured grid, finite volume, three-dimensional (3D) primitive equation coastal ocean model (FVCOM) for the study of coastal ocean and estuarine circulation.
Abstract: [1] An unstructured grid, finite volume, three-dimensional (3-D) primitive equation coastal ocean model (FVCOM) has been developed for the study of coastal ocean and estuarine circulation by Chen et al. (2003a). The finite volume method used in this model combines the advantage of finite element methods for geometric flexibility and finite difference methods for simple discrete computation. Currents, temperature, and salinity are computed using an integral form of the equations, which provides a better representation of the conservative laws for mass, momentum, and heat. Detailed comparisons are presented here of FVCOM simulations with analytical solutions and numerical simulations made with two popular finite difference models (the Princeton Ocean Model and Estuarine and Coastal Ocean Model (ECOM-si)) for the following idealized cases: wind-induced long-surface gravity waves in a circular lake, tidal resonance in rectangular and sector channels, freshwater discharge onto the continental shelf with curved and straight coastlines, and the thermal bottom boundary layer over the slope with steep bottom topography. With a better fit to the curvature of the coastline using unstructured nonoverlapping triangle grid cells, FVCOM provides improved numerical accuracy and correctly captures the physics of tide-, wind-, and buoyancy-induced waves and flows in the coastal ocean. This model is suitable for applications to estuaries, continental shelves, and regional basins that feature complex coastlines and bathymetry.

250 citations


Additional excerpts

  • ...[7] Numerical models used in this study consist of seven primitive ocean governing equations (three for momentum, one for incompressible continuity, two for temperature and salinity, and one for density) [Blumberg and Mellor, 1987; Chen et al., 2003a ]....

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  • ...FVCOM is solved numerically using an integrated form of the momentum equations with an approach of flux calculation with a second-order accurate upwind scheme for advection and the modified fourth-order Runge-Kutta time stepping for time integration [ Chen et al., 2003a ]....

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  • ...estuarine circulation by Chen et al. (2003a) ....

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  • ...[65] The comparison results described here are consistent with those found in the Bohai Sea by Chen et al. [2003a] , Figure 23. Comparison of FVCOM and POM surface current vectors at the end of the 10th model day from the runs shown in Figure 20. The vectors for POM were plotted at every fourth grid point....

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  • ...D) primitive equation coastal ocean model (FVCOM) has been developed for the study of coastal ocean and estuarine circulation by Chen et al. (2003a)....

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References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The second-moment turbulent closure hypothesis has been applied to geophysical fluid problems since 1973, when genuine predictive skill in coping with the effects of stratification was demonstrated as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Applications of second-moment turbulent closure hypotheses to geophysical fluid problems have developed rapidly since 1973, when genuine predictive skill in coping with the effects of stratification was demonstrated. The purpose here is to synthesize and organize material that has appeared in a number of articles and add new useful material so that a complete (and improved) description of a turbulence model from conception to application is condensed in a single article. It is hoped that this will be a useful reference to users of the model for application to either atmospheric or oceanic boundary layers.

6,488 citations


"An Unstructured Grid, Finite-Volume..." refers background or methods in this paper

  • ...Here Km and Kh are parameterized using the Mellor and Yamada (1982) level-2....

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  • ...5 turbulent closure model (Mellor and Yamada 1974, 1982), Sm and Sh are functions of the gradient Richardson number....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors consider simplification based on the observation that the parameters governing the degree of anisotropy are small, and propose a simplification approach for the problem of a planetary boundary layer subject to a diurnally varying surface heat flux or surface temperature.
Abstract: Turbulence models centered on hypotheses by Rotta and Kolmogoroff are complex. In the present paper we consider systematic simplifications based on the observation that parameters governing the degree of anisotropy are small. Hopefully, we shall discern a level of complexity which is intuitively attractive and which optimizes computational speed and convenience without unduly sacrificing accuracy. Discussion is focused on density stratified flow due to temperature. However, other dependent variables—such as water vapor and droplet density—can be treated in analogous fashion. It is, in fact, the anticipation of additional physical complexity in modeling turbulent flow fields that partially motivates the interest in an organized process of analytical simplification. For the problem of a planetary boundary layer subject to a diurnally varying surface heat flux or surface temperature, three models of varying complexity have been integrated for 10 days. All of the models incorporate identical empirica...

2,410 citations


"An Unstructured Grid, Finite-Volume..." refers background or methods in this paper

  • ...5 turbulent closure model (Mellor and Yamada 1974, 1982), Sm and Sh are functions of the gradient Richardson number....

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  • ...where Gh 5 (l 2 g/q 2r o )r z . In the original MY level- 2.5 turbulent closure model ( Mellor and Yamada 1974, 1982 ), S m and S h are functions of the gradient Richardson number....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A preconditioner is used which, in the hydrostatic limit, is an exact integral of the Poisson operator and so leads to a single algorithm that seamlessly moves from nonhydrostatic to hydrostatic limits, competitive with the fastest ocean climate models in use today.
Abstract: The numerical implementation of an ocean model based on the incompressible Navier Stokes equations which is designed for studies of the ocean circulation on horizontal scales less than the depth of the ocean right up to global scale is described. A "pressure correction" method is used which is solved as a Poisson equation for the pressure field with Neumann boundary conditions in a geometry as complicated as that of the ocean basins. A major objective of the study is to make this inversion, and hence nonhydrostatic ocean modeling, efficient on parallel computers. The pressure field is separated into surface, hydrostatic, and nonhydrostatic components. First, as in hydrostatic models, a two-dimensional problem is inverted for the surface pressure which is then made use of in the three-dimensional inversion for the nonhydrostatic pressure. Preconditioned conjugate-gradient iteration is used to invert symmetric elliptic operators in both two and three dimensions. Physically motivated preconditioners are designed which are efficient at reducing computation and minimizing communication between processors. Our method exploits the fact that as the horizontal scale of the motion becomes very much larger than the vertical scale, the motion becomes more and more hydrostatic and the three- dimensional Poisson operator becomes increasingly anisotropic and dominated by the vertical axis. Accordingly, a preconditioner is used which, in the hydrostatic limit, is an exact integral of the Poisson operator and so leads to a single algorithm that seamlessly moves from nonhydrostatic to hydrostatic limits. Thus in the hydrostatic limit the model is "fast," competitive with the fastest ocean climate models in use today based on the hydrostatic primitive equations. But as the resolution is increased, the model dynamics asymptote smoothly to the Navier Stokes equations and so can be used to address small- scale processes. A "finite-volume" approach is employed to discretize the model in space in which property fluxes are defined normal to faces that delineate the volumes. The method makes possible a novel treatment of the boundary in which cells abutting the bottom or coast may take on irregular shapes and be "shaved" to fit the boundary. The algorithm can conveniently exploit massively parallel computers and suggests a domain decomposition which allocates vertical columns of ocean to each processing unit. The resulting model, which can handle arbitrarily complex geometry, is efficient and scalable and has been mapped on to massively parallel multiprocessors such as the Connection Machine (CM5) using data-parallel FORTRAN and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology data-flow machine MONSOON using the implicitly parallel language Id. Details of the numerical implementation of a model which has been designed for the study of dynamical processes in the ocean from the convective, through the geostrophic eddy, up to global scale are set out. The "kernel" algorithm solves the incompressible Navier Stokes equations on the sphere, in a geometry as complicated as that of the ocean basins with ir- regular coastlines and islands. (Here we use the term "Navier Stokes" to signify that the full nonhydrostatic equations are being employed; it does not imply a particular constitutive relation. The relevant equations for modeling the full complex- ity of the ocean include, as here, active tracers such as tem- perature and salt.) It builds on ideas developed in the compu- tational fluid community. The numerical challenge is to ensure that the evolving velocity field remains nondivergent. Most

2,315 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a classe de methodes a elements finis de Galerkin discontinues a variation totale bornee for the resolution des lois de conservation, and the convergence of the convergence is studied.
Abstract: Construction et analyse d'une classe de methodes a elements finis de Galerkin discontinues a variation totale bornee pour la resolution des lois de conservation. Etude de la convergence. Resultats numeriques

2,119 citations