CASSIOWPE

The goal of the CASSIOWPE project is to develop a coupled ocean-wave-atmosphere model framework to coherently simulate met-ocean conditions in the Gulf of Lion (Mediterranean Sea) in the prospective of future floating wind farm deployment. The framework is composed of the mesoscale non-hydrostatic atmospheric model of the French research community Meso-NH, the wave model of the 3rd generation WAVEWATCHIII, and the ocean model CROCO.

My efforts consited in incorporating new algorithms into SURFEX, the surface model of Meso-NH. The two bulk algorithms developed can be activated in simulations with different degrees of wave-atmosphere coupling/forcing as well as in stand-alone atmospheric simulations. Several spray generation functions (SSGF) can be activated based on parameterizations derived from published measurements.

The impacts of sea spray were evaluated through realistic ocean-wave-atmosphere simulations of five case studies in the Gulf of Lion under stormy winds including Mistral and Tramontante. In order to evaluate the impacts under higher wind conditions, I performed a series of idealized coupled atmosphere-wave simulations of a translating cyclonic vortex. A paper is in preparation to describe the developments in SURFEX illustrated by the idealized simulations.