North-West European Shelf-Seas Model
Parent Body: The Met Office, London Road, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 2SZ

Principal Functions
Short period analysis and forecasting for the NW European shelf-seas.

General Details
A baroclinic shelf-seas model, developed by the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory (POL), has been implemented at the Met Office to provide real-time operational predictions of density and current structure over the continental shelf and at the shelf break. The model is run operationally each day. The model covers the entire NW European shelf-seas and deeper waters (as shown above), and is driven by surface fluxes from our global Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) model, tidal harmonics, and monthly climatological temperature and salinity at the open-sea boundaries.

Specification
The shelf-seas model covers the region 48–63° N and 12° W–13° E (as shown above) with a horizontal resolution of 1/6° by 1/9° (about 12 km). The model is based on time-dependent primitive equations, with a free sea surface and depth-varying bottom topography. It uses spherical polar co-ordinates in the horizontal and a terrain-following sigma co-ordinate transformation in the vertical. The model is forced by hourly wind and atmospheric pressure fields, and six-hourly heat fluxes from our global NWP model. At the open sea boundaries 15 tidal constituents are prescribed, and temperature and salinity are relaxed towards their monthly climatological values over a relaxation zone of four grid points. Along the coastal boundaries the model has 47 sources of fresh-water runoff. Evaporation and precipitation at the sea surface is not taken into account. 

Future Plans
In the future, we plan to use lateral boundary data (temperature, salinity and current profiles) from the global Forecasting Ocean–Atmosphere Model (FOAM) and are developing improved coupling between shelf-seas and atmospheric models. Models for coastal waters, to eventually include features such as sediment transport and river flow input, are also being developed in collaboration with POL. 

Availability
Model data from the NW European Shelf-Seas Model are now available to the wider oceanographic community via the internet using our Data and Products Distribution Service (DPDS). Shelf-seas model data and products are available 'free of charge' to the research and education community for non-commercial use; for commercial use a small charge for the information will be made. For specific details on how to receive shelf-seas model data please see: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/ocean/operational/dpds/dpds_shelf.html.

Further Information
For further information on the shelf-seas model, our other ocean modelling capabilities supporting operational oceanography, seasonal forecasting and climate prediction, and the availability of ocean model data and products see Ocean Applications.

Contact Information
Jon Turton
Ocean Applications
The Met Office
London Road
Bracknell
Berkshire RG12 2SZ
Telephone:  01344 856478
Fax:  01344 854499
email:  jdturton@meto.gov.uk