DRAKKAR meeting on AGRIF simulations
in the North Atlantic
6-7 July 2009



Laboratoire de Physique des Océans, Brest , France

 
  Organizing committee
Julie Deshayes & Anne-Marie Treguier


The meeting will take place at IFREMER near Brest (France)
Travel - Lodging - Getting to the meeting

Register at:
http://www.doodle.com/tmhnddghywmb4wnv
Send the title of your communication to by May 15th.
                    
List of Participants                 Agenda  

Meeting Objectives
During the last decade or so, simulations of the North Atlantic have greatly improved, in particular thanks to the collaborative efforts that constituted projects CLIPPER and DRAKKAR. Nevertheless, as mentioned during the last DRAKKAR meeting (Grenoble, February 2009), a few model flaws are resisting in the subpolar gyre and GIN seas, such as overestimated mixing in overflows, too deep convection in the Labrador Sea, long-term drift in salinity that requires restoring … There are plans to implement several AGRIF zooms on this region that would help making progress on these issues.
The objectives of this meeting are:
Overall, the meeting agenda will adjust to the contributions of participants.


DAY 1: Identify open scientific questions that might be addressed using AGRIF in the North Atlantic or global DRAKKAR model configurations
 
(1-A) We invite presentations that will discuss processes of the North Atlantic of climatic importance that are not well resolved by current DRAKKAR simulations, but might be improved by AGRIF configurations. Here is a list of questions that might be developed:
-         What is the impact of small-scale features (topographic, dynamic, thermodynamic) on the mean circulation in the North Atlantic, in particular the MOC?
-         What is the respective role of convection in the interior Labrador Sea, in the Labrador Current and in the Irminger Sea, for dense water formation and export in the subpolar gyre?
-         Is dense water overflow from the Nordic Seas contributing at all to interannual to decadal variability in the subpolar gyre?
-         Observations suggest that salinity played a passive role in the last 50 yrs in the North Atlantic, despite coupled models suggesting an active role on multidecadal timescale. The passive role is also found in hindcast simulations, albeit with strong salinity restoring. Will this result still hold in simulations with weaker or no salinity restoring?
-         Does the Mediterranean outflow significantly contribute to interannual to decadal variability of freshwater content in the North Atlantic?
-         Is freshwater input from Greenland ice melt likely to modify the dynamics of the subpolar gyre?
-         What controls the dynamics of the North Atlantic Current and the associated input of heat and salt to the subpolar gyre?
 
We also invite presentations that will address scientific questions specific to the Arctic Ocean and its exchanges with the North Atlantic. Besides, participants may present original ways to evaluate, in a quantitative way, the high-resolution simulations.
 
(1-B) At the end of Day 1, we will consider the convergence of our scientific interests and review the plans to implement AGRIF zooms in simulations of the North Atlantic.
 
 
 
DAY 2: Discuss feedbacks from previous simulations with AGRIF, evaluate the technical developments that are required and coordinate the simulations
 
(2-A) We wish to create an opportunity for participants to share their experience with AGRIF.
Presentations that emphasize the technical aspects of modelling and grid refinement are particularly welcome in this session (for example, interactions between waves and the boundaries of the AGRIF area, strategies to chose the location of the AGRIF zooms...).
 
(2-B) We plan to review the numerical developments that are required to run AGRIF zooms in the North Atlantic:
implementation of sea ice, vertical resolution, parameterizations to improve the overflows, bottom boundary layers, partial cells… We hope to coordinate the contribution of each participant to these model improvements.
 
(2-C) Finally, we hope that participants will share their respective strategies of simulations,
so as to coordinate our different projects. In particular, we propose to examine whether we can define common periods, base simulations, parameters, vertical and horizontal resolutions … We will also discuss the possibility of a common project, gathering several plans to implement AGRIF in the North Atlantic. This will probably bring us to discuss the ongoing and future projects of (very-)high-resolution simulations of the North Atlantic.
 
 
Where?

Information about transportation and lodging will be posted on the DRAKKAR website as soon as possible.
There will be no registration fee to the meeting, but participants have to cover their travel and lodging expenses.
We are currently looking for external funding to offer coffee breaks, lunches and dinner, and to cover travel and lodging expenses of a few students.

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