Validation Test Report for the Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS) Version 5.0

Abstract : The Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS) is coupled utilizing the Earth System Modeling Framework and validated for five test cases: 1) Adriatic Sea, 2) Ligurian Sea, 3) Monterey Bay, CA, 4) Kuroshio Extension System Study and 5) Coastal Peru. The COAMPS system makes use of meteorological observations including radiosondes, satellite data, ship reports, and ocean observations with time-dependent global atmospheric lateral boundary conditions from the Navy Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System (NOGAPS). Time-dependent ocean boundary conditions are derived from global the Navy Coastal Ocean Model. Atmospheric and oceanographic forecast model output includes surface and upper-air meteorological fields, sea surface temperature (SST), three-dimensional (3D) ocean temperature (T), and salinity (S), velocity, two-dimensional (2D) mixed layer depth (MLD) and ocean acoustic products. The validation efforts contained in this report focus on the upper ocean (mixed layer), heat fluxes, near surface winds, temperature, moisture, the air-sea interaction, and marine boundary layer characteristics.