The Mohn-Sverdrup Center’s planned scientific program

1. The Mohn-Sverdrup Center’s planned scientific program by Ola M. Johannessen, Laurent Bertino and Geir Evensen Opening 20th of October 2004

2. TOPAZ October 23, 2004

4. MSC objectives Further development, implementation and validation of modules in the Nansen/TOPAZ ocean modelling and data assimilation system in order to improve our knowledge of ocean processes, ocean circulation and increase our forecasting capabilities.

5. Activities will involve: • Large-scale and high-resolution regional modeling • Development and application of advanced data assimilation methodologies • Coupled physical and ecosystem modeling for basin scale and coastal systems • Dissemination of ocean forecasts to the public • Education and training of a new generation of ”ocean forecasters”

6. Haugen, Johannessen and Evensen (2002)

7. TOPAZ Satellite Data SLA, SST In Situ Data Atmospheric Data Indian Ocean model EnKF Data assimilation system Arabian Sea model Coastal model Seasonal circulation in response to the monsoon Inter-decadal variability Coastal dynamics Ocean forecasting capabilities Improve the understanding of the ocean circulation and variability in the Indian Ocean and its predictability in response to the monsoon system Haugen, Johannessen and Evensen (2002)

8. SST November 1997 Haugen, Johannessen and Evensen (2002)

9. Haugen, Johannessen and Evensen (2002)

10. Future perspectives • Increase horizontal resolution in the coarse model • Replace MICOM with HYCOM • Improve river runoff model • A coupled physical-biogeochemical model will be adapted for the Indian Ocean • Multiyear integration of nested model systems • Develop a system for real time operations

11. The Nordic Seas in the global climate system Participants: Mohn-Sverdrup Center/G.C. Rieber/Nansen Center, Norway Alfred Wegener Institute Foundation for Polar and Marine Research, Germany Nansen International Environmental and Remote Sensing Center, Russia Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, Russia Voeikov Main Geophysical Observatory, Russia Institute of Mathematical Machine and System Problems, Ukraine Murmansk Marine Biological Institute, Russia University of Plymouth, UK

12. Objectives To investigate key modes of variability and the thermohaline and wind driven circulation in the Nordic Seas*, their exchange with the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, and their effect on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation for the past and the present century. *the Barents, Iceland, Greenland and Norwegian Seas

13. Helland-Hansen & Nansen (1909)

14. Johannessen (1986)

15. Current and temperature at 5 May 11, 1997 Source: Nina Winther, MSC/NERSC

16. Specific objectives • To capture all available key ocean (temperature, salinity, oxygen and available tracer data), sea ice (ice extent, ice concentration, ice types and ice thickness) and atmosphere observations (air temperature, air pressure, surface wind, NCEP/ERA40 reanalysis) from 1900-2000, to perform quality control on this data set, and to produce monthly, seasonal and annual climatologies and temporal-spatial climate anomalies. • To reconstruct consistent, century-long atmospheric forcing fields for 1900-1960 by regression technique, and to evaluate the reconstructed forcing fields with NCEP/ERA40 reanalyses for the period 1948-1960 • To identify the temporal-spatial structure of dynamic and thermodynamic variability modes for the time period 1900-2000, and to identify propagating and locally forced modes

17. Specific objectives • To perform low, medium and high-resolution coupled ocean-sea ice model integrations, to evaluate the simulated dynamic and thermodynamic fields with the observed data set, and to assess the role of variable grid resolution (includig eddy scale) on the mean model state • To perform scenario integrations for the 21st century with a coupled global atmosphere-sea ice-ocean model to assess how the system may change as a result of global warming • To explore the observed and simulated fields addressing the overall objective to study the role and importance of the thermohaline and wind driven circulation modes in the Nordic Seas, the associated exchanges with the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, andthe coupling to the AMOC

18. Oceanographic stations fulfilled by “Michael Sars” for 1900-1904

19. Number of oceanographic stations in source databases for the Nordic Seas after initial quality control At the moment 15 initial databases completed for the merging procedure and several addition sources are coming soon. The purpose is not only to extend database to 1990s and 2000s but improve historical data content by selection of complete metadata and profiles from different sources.

21. Prof. Ola M. Johannessen, leader Dr. Laurent Bertino, co-director (20% Mohn, 80% project) Dr. G. Evensen, research director II (20% Mohn) Dr. Hanne Sagen, scientist (project) Knut Arild Lisæter, scientist (project) Belma Batlak, junior scientist (project) Nina Winther, postdoc (Mohn) NN, postdoc (Mohn) Cathrine Myrmehl, PhD (project) François Counillon, PhD (Mohn) Cecilie Hansen, PhD (Mohn) Intissar Kergouche, PhD (Mohn) 2 NN, PhD (Mohn) Bjørn Backeberg, MSc (Mohn) 3 NN, MSc (Mohn) Dr. Phillipe Craneguy, guest scientist PhD stud. Jesper Larsen, guest scientist PhD stud. Liying Wan, guest scientist Mohn-Sverdrup Center’s staff

22. Trond Mohn, thank you for founding the Mohn-Sverdrup Centerwith an endowment of 25 Mill NOK