Towards operational NEMO model for the Baltic Sea

We are developing a new operational circulation model for the Baltic Sea using NEMO v4.0. The model configuration is derived from the NEMO v3.6 1 nmi NemoNordic setup (Hordoir et al., Geoscientific Model Development, 2019). A pre-operational version of the model has been implemented to produce daily forecasts of water level, temperature, salinity, and currents, as well as sea ice coverage. In this poster we present model validation for a two-year hindcast simulation. The results indicate that daily and seasonal variability of water levels and sea surface salinity are well captured. Sea ice coverage is well represented, although slightly over-estimated. Comparisons at several mooring locations show realistic vertical salinity structure, and verify that the model can simulate Baltic inflow events. Overall, the model skill has significantly improved compared to previous operational models.