A high-resolution regional data-assimilative ocean modeling configuration near Cape Hatteras

The ocean reanalysis used in this study was constructed by integrating a high-resolution regional ocean model with an ensemble data assimilation approach that incorporates available remote and in-situ ocean observations from multiple platforms. The model assimilates sea level anomaly data from several satellites, including Jason-2, Jason-3, CryoSat-2, SARAL-AltiKa, Haiyang-2A, and Sentinel-3. It also assimilates daily sea surface temperature data sourced from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) managed by NOAA CoastWatch. In addition, observations from the Process driving Exchange At Cape Hatteras (PEACH) project are incorporated, including high-frequency radar data, temperature and salinity profiles obtained through glider surveys and moorings, alongside buoy data from the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) near Cape Hatteras. The model domain features a uniform horizontal resolution of 800 meters and 50 vertical layers, with enhanced resolution towards the surface and bottom boundary layers. Atmospheric forcing data are obtained from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and ERA interim products, while global Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) data supplies model initial and boundary conditions. Thirteen major tidal constituents from the Finite Element Solution (FES) 2014 tide model are utilized for tidal forcing, and 22 estuary rivers from the National Water Model within the model domain are integrated for river forcing, by defining river runoff mass transport vertical profile and river runoff vertically integrated mass transport. The model's daily output spans from January 2017 to December 2018, aligning with the availability of in situ observations from the PEACH project.