Performance of Ocean Simulations in the Coupled HWRF–HYCOM Model

This paper introduces a next-generation operational Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting (HWRF) system that was developed at the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction. The new system, HWRFHybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM), retains the same atmospheric component of operational HWRF, but it replaces the feature-model-based Princeton Ocean Model (POM) with the eddy-resolving HYCOM. The primary motivation is to improve enthalpy fluxes in the airsea interface, by providing the best possible estimates of the balanced oceanic states using data assimilated Real-Time Ocean Forecast System products as oceanic initial conditions (IC) and boundary conditions.