Numerical Simulation of the Caspian Sea Circulation Using the Marine and Atmospheric Research System

Abstract

The Marine and Atmospheric Research System (MARS) for the Caspian Sea meteorological characteristics is presented, which is implemented in Zubov State Oceanographic Institute. It includes computation of the atmospheric forcing with the Weather Research and Forecasting model, as well as computation of currents, sea level, temperature, salinity and sea ice with the Institute of Numerical Mathematics Ocean Model and the computation of wind wave parameters using the Russian wind-wave model. The results are presented on verification of the hydrometeocharacteristics simulated with the MARS for the Caspian Sea. As well, the retrospective simulation of the thermohydrodynamic characteristics in this basin is performed with MARS for the ice-free period 2003–2013. The important features of the Caspian Sea circulation are shown.