This report describes the wave-current interaction processes recently implemented in the Ocean General Circulation Model NEMO (Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean) version 4.2 in the framework of the IMMERSE H2020 Project (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/821926) and asses the impacts of those new developments, especially the effect of the wave- induced mixing in the Mediterranean sea dynamics. A set of sensitivity experiments are performed using the hydrodynamic model NEMO v4.2 coupled with the spectral wave model WaveWatchIII (WW3) v6.07 through the OASIS library. The configuration is based on the operational Copernicus Marine Service Mediterranean forecasting physical system (MedFS). Both models are implemented at 1/24° resolution and are forced by European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) 1/10° horizontal resolution atmospheric fields. The models are one-way coupled therefore the wave model is sending fields every hour to the hydrodynamic model. Two-year numerical experiments are carried out in both uncoupled and coupled mode. In order to validate the system, numerical results are compared with in-situ and observational data. This study is focused on the coupling on upper-ocean properties (such as temperature, salinity and surface currents) and mixed layer depth, at mesoscale. The sensitivity of the ocean dynamic to wave-current interactions is also evaluated during a specific extreme event.
Keywords: wave-current, NEMO 4.2, Mediterranean Sea
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