Waikīkī Ocean Model
Waikīkī Ocean Model
Posted October 22, 2014Voyager now includes a new high resolution regional ocean model for the Waikīkī region of Oʻahu. This Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) mesoscale numerical ocean prediction model provides 3-day, hourly forecasts at various depth levels of water temperature, currents, salinity, and sea surface height at approximately 40-m resolution. Covering the nearshore region from the coastline to approximately 2 miles (3 km) offshore, this grid extends from Diamond Head to Honolulu International Airport and includes Ala Moana, Honolulu Harbor, Keʻehi Lagoon, and the Ala Wai canal.
Model runs are produced by Dr. Brian Powell of the Department of Oceanography in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and have been added to the PacIOOS data servers. This dataset complements our existing global HYCOM ocean forecast as well as our other ROMS grids in Hawaiʻi.
Voyager screenshot of ROMS Waikīkī water temperature near the ocean surface (click here for larger image):
Voyager screenshot of ROMS Waikīkī currents near the ocean surface (click here for larger image):
Note that the data underlying this forecast are in the native, curvilinear ROMS grid. While this enables the model to better represent the complex nearshore geography, it results in slower map generation in Voyager due to additional, on-the-fly spatial computation.
These model results were generated as part of an academic research project. They provide a scientific prediction of current and future conditions. As with any forecast, however, accuracy cannot be guaranteed and caution is advised. While considerable effort has been made to implement all data components in a thorough, correct, and accurate manner, numerous sources of error are possible.
