SCRIPPS/MPI Hybrid Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Model Dynamical Ocean Model, Statistical Atmospheric Model
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California at San Diego
La Jolla, California, U.S.
The forecasts are produced by a computer model called the "Hybrid Coupled Model", or HCM. It's "hybrid" in the sense that it's a big, comprehensive general circulation ocean model coupled to a much simpler, statistical atmospheric model.
The ocean model is the Hamburg Ocean Primitive Equation (HOPE) model, version 2.4, produced by the Max Plank Institut for Meteorologie in Hamburg, Germany. As the name suggests, it's a primitive equation model formulated on constant levels. The developers in Hamburg spent much effort to refine the mixing parameterizations for the tropical Pacific, and as a result, the model reproduces tropical Pacific behavior quite accurately when forced by historically observed winds. Nonetheless, technology marches onwards, and we continue to evaluate new models to see how well they do.
The model is formulated on an "E-grid", which is laid out in a diamond shape rather than a box. Therefore, it's somewhat problematical quoting the resolution of the model in a constant latitude/longitude framework. Aside from that difficulty, it's fair to say that the resolution is approximately 1 degree in longitude by 0.5 degrees in latitude near the equator. Outside of the tropics, the latitudinal gridspacing slowly increases to about 1.5 degrees. This allows for good model resolution in the area of interest while still covering most of the Pacific ocean.
View HCM model information.
Look at the current HCM forecast maps ("pictures of the forecast").
Contact: David Pierce: dpierce@ucsd.edu
References:
Pierce, D. W., 1996: "The Hybrid Coupled Model, Version 3: Technical Notes". Scripps Institution of Oceanography Reference Series No. 96-27. August, 1996.
Van Oldenborgh, G. J., G. Burgers, S. Vezke, C. Eckert and R. Giering, 1999: Tracking down the ENSO delayed oscillator with an adjoint OGCM. Mon. Wea. Rev., 127, 1477-1495.