Quantifying volume transports during SKAGEX with the Norwegian Ecological Model system

A coupled 3-dimensional physical, chemical and biological model system, NORWECOM (the NORWegian ECOlogical Model system), is validated and used to identify and quantify the short-term variability of the different water masses being transported into and out of Skagerrak. The model system is a nesting between a coarse grid model set up for an extended North Sea, and a fine grid defined in the Skagerrak/Kattegat area.Originating from the extensive SKAGEX (SKAGerrak EXperiment) database, several interesting events have been identified and become the focus of the modeling. Through interactive use of the SKAGEX data set and NORWECOM, it is possible to gain a new insight into a very complex hydrodynamic system, an insight that is hard to achieve based on measurements only.