[20070802: NOAA Wave Watch III model-Fwd: ADMIN NOTICE NOUS41 KWBC]

[Linda Miller]

-------- Original Message --------

121 
NOUS41 KWBC 021836
PNSWSH

TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICE 07-51
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
236 PM EDT THU AUG 30 2007

TO:       FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER 
          WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...EMERGENCY MANAGERS
          WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK /EMWIN/SUBSCRIBERS...
          OTHER NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ CUSTOMERS AND  
          PARTNERS...NWS EMPLOYEES

FROM:     PAUL HIRSCHBERG
          CHIEF...SCIENCE PLANS BRANCH
          OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY /OST/

SUBJECT:  UPGRADE TO NOAA WAVE WATCH III MODEL: EFFECTIVE  
          SEPTEMBER 18 2007

EFFECTIVE TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 18 2007...WITH THE 1200 COORDINATED 
UNIVERSAL TIME /UTC/ RUN...THE NATIONAL CENTERS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL 
PREDICTION /NCEP/ WILL UPGRADE THE NOAA WAVE WATCH III /NWW3/ 
MODEL.  

THE FOLLOWING CHANGES WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE NWW3 MODEL 
SYSTEM: 

1.     A MULTI-GRID GLOBAL MODEL THAT PROVIDES FORECAST PRODUCTS   
       ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT GRIDS.  ALL THE GRIDS HAVE INTERNAL 
       TWO-WAY COUPLING AND EXCHANGE INFORMATION DURING THE 
       COMPUTATION CYCLE.  THE NEW GRIDS ARE: 

       A.  A 30 MINUTE RESOLUTION GLOBAL GRID.  
       B.  THREE 10 MINUTE RESOLUTION REGIONAL GRIDS COVERING  
           THE UNITED STATES /US/ EAST/WEST COASTS AND EASTERN   
           PACIFIC ISLANDS INCLUDING HAWAII.  
       C.  AN ALASKA REGIONAL GRID WITH A 15 MINUTE RESOLUTION 
           IN LONGITUDE AND A 10 MINUTE RESOLUTION IN LATITUDE.  
       D.  TWO 4 MINUTE RESOLUTION COASTAL GRIDS FOR THE US 
           EAST/WEST COASTS.  THE US WEST COAST GRID ALSO 
           INCLUDES THE COASTAL WATERS OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
       E.  AN ALASKAN COASTAL GRID WITH A RESOLUTION OF 8 
           MINUTES IN LONGITUDE AND 4 MINUTES IN LATITUDE.  
  
2.     FIELD OUTPUT WILL BE AVAILABLE IN GRIB2 FORMAT.  

3.     THE ENERGY SPECTRUM WILL BE PROPERLY PARTITIONED.  THE     
       FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL OUTPUT GRIDS WILL BE AVAILABLE:

       A.  PARTITIONED WAVE HEIGHT DATA FOR WIND SEAS-KPDS 
           ID=102 PRIMARY SWELLS-KPDS ID=105-LEVEL 1
           SECONDARY SWELLS-KPDS ID=105-LEVEL 2
       B.  PARTITIONED PEAK PERIOD DATA FOR WIND SEAS-KPDS 
           ID=103 PRIMARY SWELLS-KPDS ID=106-LEVEL 1
           SECONDARY SWELLS-KPDS ID=106-LEVEL 2
       C.  PARTITIONED MEAN DIRECTION FOR WIND SEAS-KPDS ID=101
           PRIMARY SWELLS-KPDS ID=104-LEVEL 1
           SECONDARY SWELLS-KPDS ID=104-LEVEL 2

4.     MINOR CHANGES TO THE PHYSICS INCLUDING:

       A.  LINEAR WAVE GROWTH TERM TO IMPROVE INITIAL WAVE
           GROWTH RESULTS
       B.  A SURF ZONE BREAKING TERM TO PROVIDE MORE REALISTIC  
           ESTIMATES OF WAVE HEIGHT FOR LAND FALLING TROPICAL      
           SYSTEMS.
  
5.     THE FORECAST RUN WILL NOW START 9 FORECAST HOURS PRIOR 
       TO THE ORIGINATING TIME OF THE CYCLE AS OPPOSED TO 6 
       HOURS PRIOR ALLOWING FOR 3 ADDITIONAL HOURS OF 
       ASSIMILATION.  FORECAST OUTPUT CONTINUES OUT TO 180
       HOURS. 

THIS UPGRADED FORECAST SYSTEM WILL BE USED TO REPLACE THE CURRENT 
GRIDDED OUTPUT OF THE NOAA WAVEWATCH III MODELING SYSTEM. THE 
FOLLOWING GRIDS...WHICH ARE AVAILABLE ON NOAAPORT...WILL BE 
IMPACTED BY THE UPGRADE MODELING SYSTEM: 

EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC /ENP/
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC /WNA/
ALASKAN WATERS /AKW/ 

THE PRODUCTS/GRIDS WHICH ARE DISSEMINATED TO NOAAPORT AND/OR THE 
SATELLITE BROADCAST NETWORK /SBN/ WILL NOT BE CHANGED IN VOLUME 
OR CONTENT.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS CONCERNING THESE CHANGES...PLEASE 
CONTACT: 

HENDRIK TOLMAN
NCEP/EMC...CHIEF MARINE MODELING BRANCH
CAMP SPRINGS MARYLAND
PHONE: 301 763 8000 X7253
EMAIL: HENDRIK.TOLMAN at NOAA.GOV

THIS AND OTHER NWS TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICES ARE AVAILABLE 
ONLINE AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/: 

HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM

$$



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