Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/J015938/1
UK - China Initiative to Develop Predictive Multi-Scale Ocean Modelling as a Key Aspect of a Joint Environmental Modelling Centre
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Professor PA Allison, Imperial College London, Earth Science and Engineering
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor MD Piggott, Imperial College London, Earth Science and Engineering
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor CC Pain, Imperial College London, Department of Earth Sciences
- Grant held at:
- Imperial College London, Earth Science and Engineering
- Science Area:
- Marine
- Overall Classification:
- Marine
- ENRIs:
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Global Change
- Natural Resource Management
- Pollution and Waste
- Science Topics:
- Climate & Climate Change
- Ocean - Atmosphere Interact.
- Ocean Circulation
- Abstract:
- China is increasingly taking the lead in solutions to environmental problems and this will continue as substantial Chinese investment is scheduled for this purpose. The Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP) in Beijing is an internationally leading organisation in this area and will substantially benefit from this additional investment. The Applied Modelling and Computational Group at Imperial College London (AMCG-ICL) is an environmental modelling group developing next generation methods. We propose a two year starter project with a combination of training and scientific effort in the UK and China synchronized with a range of supporting activities that will build the foundation for a subsequently self supporting (combination of UK and Chinese funds) 'International Research Centre'. The Centre will combine our world leading technologies and manpower to accelerate research excellence and delivery of numerical modelling insights and solutions to grand challenge environmental problems in the UK and China way beyond the capability of the UK alone. A relatively small investment would leverage China's massive past, current and future investments in IAP and past UK investments in next generation environmental flow models (particularly the multi-scale ocean model Fluidity-ICOM). This collaboration will develop a world leading predictive modelling framework. The starter project funded here will provide the focus for the training and collaboration so as to apply IAP's data assimilation methods to our multi-scale ocean model Fluidity-ICOM. Next Generation Ocean-Atmosphere Model: A Grand Challenge in Earth System Science is modelling the global circulation across the full range of relevant spatial and temporal scales. For climate prediction, this means resolving both basin scale and smaller scale features such as boundary currents, mixing; chemical interactions and transport, overflows, and mesoscale eddies. Such simulations will lie well beyond the capability of traditional ocean and atmosphere models. It is now generally recognised that the next generation of ocean models will be based on unstructured mesh technology as currently this is the only feasible way of resolving the important range of scales in coastal regions. As identified by the NERC strategy document 'oceans 2025 WP9', unstructured mesh ocean models are the key ocean modelling technology for the future modelling of multi-scale ocean to estuary and smaller scale modelling. Among existing unstructured mesh models, ICOM-Fluidity is the only model that can be used for simulation of flow on all scales using adaptive mesh resolution and is therefore an ideal platform for the next generation of data assimilation models to be developed on. One result of the training program will be that ICOM-Fluidity will be used to form a forward model of the China Sea. There will be a large amount of data to assimilate into the model e.g. satellite, argo floats and ship tracks. Ensemble Kalman Filter EnKF and gradient or adjoint based data assimilation methods will be used with ICOM-Fluidity to provide forecasts and to interpolate available data. Planned activities that will support the IAP - AMCG-ICL research: 1) Training courses, workshops and Summer schools. 2) PhD students, PDRAs and senior staff time to apply (and help develop) the model e.g. set up the UK and China sea model and develop uncertainty, reduced order and data assimilation methods. 3) Exchanges of academic staff and PhD students. 4) Development of a new substantial funding grant in China and the UK to fund the centre. 5) Strengthened UK link and development of further initiatives with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. 6) Formalised visiting status for key Imperial College researchers
- NERC Reference:
- NE/J015938/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- IOF
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- IOF
This grant award has a total value of £232,175
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Indirect - Indirect Costs | DA - Investigators | DA - Estate Costs | DI - Staff | DI - T&S | DA - Other Directly Allocated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £67,678 | £10,950 | £26,361 | £122,315 | £2,731 | £2,139 |
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