This project contributes for Marine Safety:

Risk control and rescue activity require accurate information and forecasts. This project creates an operational Polycentric Infrastructure that will generate detailed forecasts of marine currents and wave height nesting local models into large scale models - using regional circulation models - and is a step forward in relation to the present operational oceanography which builds on, developments in the fields of remote sensing, of automatic data acquisition systems and of numerical modelling. Present operational systems for global and for local scales have been setup independently, simplifying the interaction between processes with different scales (and sometimes with sacrifice of that interaction). Combining MERCATOR GCM model for low frequency processes (density and wind driven generated flows) with detailed local meteorological forecasts from MeteoGalicia and MOHID model for tidal propagation - the major flow driving force in North Atlantic estuaries and coastal lagoons - this project takes into account all the processes relevant for simulating the flow in coastal areas and will generate accurate information and forecasts,. Wave forecast is already operational and will be a complementary product of this project.

This project will create the first Polycentric (and scalable) ocean forecasting infrastructure:

This Project is the first Polycentric infrastructure for operational oceanography in European Atlantic Arc Region, combining a General Circulation Model run in Toulouse, with Meteorological models running in Santiago de Compostela and a and a Regional and local Circulation models running in Lisbon, Azores and Galicia. This Polycentric infrastructure is scalable to the whole region, by including other regional meteorological forecasts and this or other tidal models for generating local results. The implementation in Azores is a major challenge for the project since boundary conditions are difficultly predicted without the input from a GCM.

This project will increase the interaction with the Enduser:

Based on a new technologic platform this project will permit to the End-user the submission of jobs to the operational model without the intervention of the operator allowing a two-way interaction, which is especially important in emergency situations when saving time is critical. This platform is a major step forward in the present one-way interaction with the Enduser where the operator, (i) broadcasts generic results, usually though the WWW or (ii) produces “tailor-made” results for specific users. The partner INTECMAR, which is an enduser will have an active role in adjusting this interface to the enduser needs..

This project will enlarge the Endusers community of GCM models:

This project will increase the quality of local forecasts by nesting local scale models into GCM’s using Regional Scale models contributing for integrating the Endusers of local models into the GCM Endusers Community. Enlargement of GCM Endusers community is a critical aspect for the development of these models and the development of these models is critical for the quality of local forecasts. Oil spills management, tracking of large objects lost in sea (e.g. containers) or safety of bathing waters, are activities that will use GCM results. . GCM system will be improved to give more realistic results that will be then provided to regional and local models. A 2-way coupling between ocean and meteorological models will also contribute for improving wind forecasts in littoral areas bringing indirectly the managers of the growing community of wind energy producers in littoral areas to the Endusers community of General Circulation Models.

This project will capitalize on the experience of the Endusers

There are several Institutions (e.g. from harbours, shipping, waste water management, oil companies, national water authorities, civil protection services) with permanent technical staff with strong competences that can contribute for improving forecast products. Based on the Web GIS Technological Platform proposed in this project, that staff can after registration can submit jobs and consequently contribute for validating the results when they access the quality of the forecasts.

Technological Platform is based on the most recent information services:

The interface will be based on the web and will use technologies as google maps, mapserver, ajax, post gis and openDAP. The google interface is particularly interesting because it is intuitive and very well disseminated.