The Modeling and Forecasting Facility will contribute to the SOCIB objectives following international well established initiatives where SOCIB scientis have been and are presently involved. These types of initiatives were mostly peer reviewed research projects of usually 3 to 4 years duration. Among other, some of the projects more directly related to SOCIB objectives are: ESEOO in Spain, ECOOP and SESAME from EC FP6 and MyOcean from GMES FP7.
SOCIB activities are mostly centered in the western Mediterranean, with focus on the Balearic Islands and adjacent sub-basins (specifically Algerian and Alboran/Gibraltar) and covering from the nearshore to the open ocean on a long term.
Our aim is to advance on the understanding of physical and multidisciplinary processes and their non linear interactions, to detect and quantify changes in coastal systems, to understand the mechanism that regulate them and to forecast their evolution and or adaptation under, for example, different IPCC scenarios. To achieve this goal, the Modeling & Forecasting facility will provide operational forecasting, hindcasting and monitoring of the western Mediterranean, and specifically coastal seas around the Balearic Islands.
The SOCIB modeling platform will comprise:
- Circulation models, forecast ocean currents Weather modeling
- Ecosystem modeling, provide forecasts and analysis of the ecosystems
- Wave modeling, to forecast wave conditions globally and locally
- Satellite data with particular emphasis on development of coastal products
Our multidisciplinary approach and the variability of scales involved, from meters to thousands of kilometers and from seconds to years as well as their nonlinear interactions and physical and biological processes makes the understanding of theses mechanisms a real challenge.
