An experimental real-time nowcast/forecast model system for the Port of New York and New Jersey has been implemented and is being tested by the National Ocean Service, NOAA. It is designed to provide mariners and port mangers with up-to-minute nowcast and forecast water levels and currents throughout the harbor. The model system will be incorporated into NOS's Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS) now operating in the harbor.

The nowcast/forecast model system, developed by NOS's Coast Survey Development Laboratory (CSDL), uses the 3-dimensional Princeton Ocean Model (POM) for the harbor model. Boundary conditions are provided by an East Coast forecast model system, which is driven by an NWS weather forecast model. POM has an orthogonal curvilinear model grid covering New York Harbor from 74° 20'W to 73° 45'W and from 40° 24'N to 40° 52'N with a resolution varying from 150 m to 1000 m. A higher resolution sub-grid (green area), covering the Narrows and the navigation channels approaching Port Elizabeth, is embedded within and coupled to the larger grid, providing grid resolution as small as 70 m. The nested grid system provides more detailed information about current shears and eddies. The system model has been extensively calibrated with observations and has gone through a validation process to pass specific NOS criteria.

The Port of New York/New Jersey Water Level and Current Nowcast/Forecast System is currently making nowcasts every hour and 36-hour forecasts twice a day.

MODEL DESCRIPTION

EXPERIMENTAL NOWCAST/FORECAST

For the latest information on system development, please contact:
  Dr. Eugene Wei
NOAA/NOS/Coast Survey Development Laboratory
Tel: (301) 713-2809 ext. 102
Fax: (301) 713-4501

Revised Monday April 14 2003by OCS Webmaster