North East Atlantic Real Time Total Surface Current

The hydrodynamic model, ROMS (Regional Ocean Modeling System), is run for a domain that covers a significant portion of the northeast Atlantic at a resolution of 2.5 km and and with 40 vertical levels.7-day forecasts are generated for research purposes and for comparison with measured data. We use NCEP GFS atmospheric forcing and our model is nested within the MERCATOR North Atlantic model.The Marine Institute does not guarantee to make model output available on its web site. The predictions should not be used for safety critical applications. This dataset covers total surface current forecasts. An ocean current is a continuous, directed movement of seawater generated by forces acting upon this mean flow, such as breaking waves, wind, the Coriolis effect, cabbeling, and temperature and salinity differences, while tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon. Depth contours, shoreline configurations, and interactions with other currents influence a current's direction and strength.

Ocean currents flow for great distances, and together, create the global conveyor belt which plays a dominant role in determining the climate of many of the Earth’s regions. More specifically, ocean currents influence the temperature of the regions through which they travel.