Bluelink: ROAM (2002-Current)
ROAM (Relocatable Ocean and Atmospheric Model) is a suite of regional ocean, atmosphere, wave and littoral zone modelling systems that enable high resolution forecasts in user-configured subdomains that are nested within the global model outputs.
There are a number of scientific and engineering challenges in the design and implementation of ROAM.
ROAM is intended to deliver forecasts on a first-time-every-time basis; i.e. model instability and optimisation of model parameters via iterative simulations cannot be accepted. This makes the automated parameterisation a challenge; the model must be robust enough to deliver a stable simulation, but accurate enough to provide meaningful results. The open boundaries of regional domains are particularly challenging in this regard. Furthermore, the system is operated by non-specialist users on a web interface. This makes intuitive interface design a key part of the project.
ROAM has been successfully implemented on numerous domains within the Australasian region (Figure 1). The added skill of ROAM-Ocean in comparison to the global model is illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, where most of the added value is due to the inclusion of the tide in this case. The higher resolution used in ROAM-Ocean results in the added spatial detail illustrated in Figure 4.