The PLUME Model: A 3D Numerical Model of the Southern Benguela

ROMS - Regional Ocean Modeling System developed by Rutgers University and University of California, Los Angeles was used as a basis for the model. Temperature and salinity fields were extracted from a seasonal climatology derived from the results of the AGAPE (Biastoch & Kraub, 1999)basin scale ocean model (z-co-ordinate, 1/3 degree resolution). Surface fluxes were derived from the COADs monthly climatology with 0.5 degree resolution (Da Silva et al, 1994).

The model reproduces the main oceanographic features of the Southern Benguela, including the West Coast upwelling, the Cape Columbine plume, the Agulhas Current, Agulhas rings, meso-scale eddies and filaments are reproduced. The solution is stabilized after 2 years and then the model reaches a cyclic quasi-stationary solution but with significant inter-annual variability despite the climatological forcing. Information taken from presentation given by Dr.

C. Roy at ENVIFISH-VIBES meeting, October 2000