Complementary Role Of Glider Data On The Modelling Of Multi-Scale Dynamics In The Norwegian Coastal And Fjord Regions

This work focuses on the physics of ocean in the coastal zone of the Lofoten-Vesterlen (LoVe) region, with the main goal of developing a combined high-resolution ocean and atmosphere model to use it to understand the dynamics of observed oceanic systems and their attribution to spatial/temporal variability in this region. In order to provide an enhanced picture of the flow field variability over the shelf and fjords interior process in the LoVe region, we nest an unstructured high-resolution oceanic model (FVCOM) in a setup of the ROMS ocean model with data assimilation that runs operationally at MET Norway. The glider observations coupled with a high-resolution model have improved our simulations towards providing an enhanced picture of the flow field. We note that the nested model renders distinguishably better performance in capturing the Norwegian Atlantic Current (NwAC), as well as meso- and small-scale eddies in the region. Additionally, the straits through Lofoten are well resolved, e.g., Saltstraumen is well presented.