Abstract:

Two advances in the field of applied mathematics have enabled a new approach to global ocean climate modeling. First, the creation of optimal, smoothly-varying Voronoi meshes has enabled the specification of different resolutions in different parts of the ocean. Second, a mimetic discretization of the rotating shallow-water equations insures that important conservation principles, such as energy and potential vorticity, are maintained on these multi-scale meshes. This talk will highlight how the combination of these advances might transform how we think about and use global ocean climate models.