An operational Mediterranean wave spectral model has been developed through the cooperative efforts of the U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO), Fleet Numerical Weather Central (FNWC) and New York University (NYU). Since April 1972, the model has been operating in a real-time environment (analyses/prognosis to 48 hours). The model is a modified version of the original NYU North Atlantic wave model and has two main parts: (1) wave energy growth based on a modified version of the Miles-Phillips growth mechanism and dissipation at individual grid points and (2) wave energy propagation from grid point to grid point. The Mediterranean wave model uses a conic conformal grid, permitting the assumption of equal spacing between grid points. There are 455 sea points with a mesh length of 67 km. The wave model driving force is a modified version of the FNWC Marine Wind model which has a mesh length of approximately 370 kms. For use in the Mediterranean, the winds are interpolated between Marine Wind field grid points. At analysis/pre-analysis times, wind reports from synoptic ship files are reanalyzed in the Mediterranean wind program so that local wind phenomena, such as 'mistrals, ' are included in the wind field.

Report 1 of a series.

This atlas contains climatological summaries for seven parameters based on modeled data. Included are wind speed and direction, significant wave height, wave direction, wave slope parameter, modal wave period, and directionality of the waves. The last three parameters have not appeared in previous U.S. Navy climatological atlases, because they cannot be directly derived from visual observations. This atlas provides the design, scientific and operational communities with a detailed representation of the overall wave climate of the Mediterranean Sea. Keywords: Ocean waves spectra; Mathematical models; Wind direction; Ocean surface; Marine climatology; Ocean graphic data charts.

Ocean Dynamics’ is a concise introduction to the fundamentals of fluid mechanics, non-equilibrium thermodynamics and the common approximations for geophysical fluid dynamics, presenting a comprehensive approach to large-scale ocean circulation theory. The book is written on the physical and mathematical level of graduate students in theoretical courses of physical oceanography, meteorology and environmental physics. An extensive bibliography and index, extensive side notes and recommendations for further reading, and a comparison with the specific atmospheric physics where applicable, makes this volume also a useful reading for researchers. Each of the four parts of the book – fundamental laws, common approximations, ocean waves, oceanic turbulence and eddies, and selected aspects of ocean dynamics – starts with elementary considerations, blending then classical topics with more advanced developments of fluid mechanics and theoretical oceanography. The last part covers the theory of the global wind-driven circulation in homogeneous and stratified regimes, the circulation and overturning in the Southern Ocean, and the global meridional overturning and thermohaline-driven circulation. Emphasis is placed on simple physical models rather than access to extensive numerical results, enabling students to understand and reproduce the complex theory mostly by analytical means. All equations and models are derived in detail and illustrated by numerous figures. The appendix provides short excursions into the mathematical background, such as vector analysis, statistics, and differential equations