Forum: numerical ocean benchmarks

The emergence of ocean observing systems poses novel opportunities for observation-based benchmarks for numerical ocean models. Through this discussion forum, we invite broad community participation in the development of one such benchmark across multiple ocean scales.

We believe that the proposed benchmark will fill a current void within the tools available to the ocean modeling community, and will prove valuable to drive future model development.

We seek:
• Community's comments on the proposed approach, and community's help in disseminating the initiative among groups interested in submitting solutions.
• Volunteers to add controlled benchmarks for (a) a geometrically complex shelf region, and (b) an ocean basin, sub-basin or internal sea.

Frank Aikman, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Antonio M. Baptista, Oregon Health & Science University
Cheryl Ann Blain, Naval Research Laboratory
Mohamed Iskandarani, University of Miami