96843 - NUMERICAL LABORATORY OF THE ATMOSPHERE AND OCEAN

Anno Accademico 2023/2024

  • Docente: Paolo Ruggieri
  • Crediti formativi: 6
  • SSD: FIS/06
  • Lingua di insegnamento: Inglese
  • Moduli: Paolo Ruggieri (Modulo 1) Paolo Oddo (Modulo 2)
  • Modalità didattica: Convenzionale - Lezioni in presenza (Modulo 1) Convenzionale - Lezioni in presenza (Modulo 2)
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Laurea Magistrale in Fisica del sistema Terra (cod. 8626)

    Valido anche per Laurea Magistrale in Science of Climate (cod. 5895)

Conoscenze e abilità da conseguire

Upon successful completion of this course, the student knows: the formulation of general circulation models and climate models; -numerical methods employed in atmospheric and oceanic sciences; -methodologies to solve numerically chaotic, multi-scale systems of PDEs. Upon successful completion of this course, the student is able to: run and interpret simple numerical simulations for the atmosphere and ocean; use large datasets in self-describing, array-oriented formats; work in UNIX-like shell and HPC environment. Ability to write numerical codes to integrate hyperbolic conservation laws in one and multiple dimensions. Basic knowledge of a UNIX-like shell and job submission in a HPC environment. Compiling and running a model, design and implementation of a numerical simulation. Interpretation and use of a self-describing, array-oriented data format. Expertise with analysis and post-processing of model outputs and simple strategies to handle large datasets. Interpretation of model results in view of governing equations.

Contenuti

MODULE I (Atmosphere)

-Introduction
Overview of the course, History and development of Atmospheric General Circulation Models, global and mesoscale numerical weather predictions, climate models.

-Numerical Methods I
Classification of PDEs, consistency and stability analysis,
semi-lagrangian schemes, spectral methods, grids

-Hands-on Session: Numerical Integration of the Lorenz 63 system
Deriving the Lorenz system, the coding environment, writing the code for the integration, exercises on fundamentals of chaotic systems, conceptual example of an ensemble forecast.

-Hands-on Session: Numerical integration of the barotropic vorticity equation
Implementation of a code to solve the barotropic vorticity equation, filtering approximations, recreation of the
pioneering numerical weather prediction made by Charney, Fjörtoff and von Neumann.

-Hands-on Session: Simulations with an atmospheric General Circulation Model
Vertical coordinates in AGCMs, subgrid-scale processes, overview of model dynamical core and parameterizations. Computation of the model climatology, a sensitivity simulation.
What is a weather forecast system, the example of the ECMWF Integrated Forecast System, forecast and discussion of a case study.

MODULE II (Ocean)

Introduction: The governing equations and a short history about ocean models. Here we review the equation of state, the Navier-Stokes equation, the approximations (Hydrostatic, Boussinesq), and consequences to derive the Primitive Equations. Brief history of oceanographic modelling. Review and classification of different ocean models

Lecture 2: Finite difference Method. Taylor series and finite difference. How to find solution for 1st and 2nd derivatives. Low order and high orders schemes. Overview of the different possibilities and implications (Backward, centered and forward). Examples applied to the heat equation.

Lecture 3: Numerical dispersion and diffusivity. Overview of the advection schemes.

Lecture 4: SGS processes. Horizontal and vertical diffusion & viscosity. Lateral Open boundary conditions and nested grids (time-permitting).

Hands-on Session: Introduction to the NEMO code. Preparing the environment. Getting familiar with bash/Fortran. Overview of the code, its structure, the modules. Modularity and choices to be done.

Hands-on Session: Available options for the momentum equation (flux vs vorticity / baroclinic and barotropic). Surface and lateral boundary conditions. Execute the code (pre-defined test cases). Check results and diagnostic files.

Hands-on Session: Create your own model configuration: Definition of the problem. Run the Experiments. Study and understand the model results and output.

Hands-on Session: Sensitivity tests. Study and understand the model results and output (comparison).

Testi/Bibliografia

Lecture notes and slides

Atmospheric Modeling, Data Assimilation and Predictability, E. Kalnay, Cambridge university press

Haidvogel and Beckmann, Numerical Ocean Circulation Modeling, Imperial College Press, 1999

Benoit Cushman-Roisin and Jean-Marie Becker. Introduction to Geophysical Fluid Dynamics. Physical and Numerical Aspects. Academic Press

F. Mesinger, A. Arakawa, Numerical Methods Used in Atmospheric Models, GARP Publ. Ser. No. 17, vol. 1, WMO, Geneva, 1976

Metodi didattici

Classroom lectures and hands-on sessions with numerical simulations.

Mandatory Lab safety training to be completed in advance: Moduli 1 e 2 di formazione sulla sicurezza nei luoghi di studio, [https://elearning-sicurezza.unibo.it/] are required (E-Learning).

Modalità di verifica e valutazione dell'apprendimento

Reports developed during the course are evaluated but do not directly influence the final mark. The final mark is determined with an oral examination focused on the theoretical part of the lectures and on the discussion of the reports. The examination is done with 3 questions and at least 1 question per module.

The duration of the exam is about 35 minutes.

Strumenti a supporto della didattica

Slide projector and computer laboratory.

Orario di ricevimento

Consulta il sito web di Paolo Ruggieri

Consulta il sito web di Paolo Oddo

SDGs

Lotta contro il cambiamento climatico La vita sott'acqua

L'insegnamento contribuisce al perseguimento degli Obiettivi di Sviluppo Sostenibile dell'Agenda 2030 dell'ONU.