NEMO-Bohai 1.0: a high-resolution ocean and sea ice modelling system for the Bohai Sea, China

Abstract. Severe ice conditions in the Bohai Sea could cause serious harm to maritime traffic, offshore oil exploitation, aquaculture, and other economic activities surrounding regions. In addition providing sea forecasts for disaster prevention risk mitigation, numerical models help explain variability within context of climate change marine ecosystems, such as spotted seals, which are only ice-dependent animal that breeds Chinese waters. Here, we developed NEMO-Bohai, an ocean–ice coupled model based on Nucleus European Modelling Ocean (NEMO) version 4.0 Ice Integrated Initiative (SI3) (NEMO4.0-SI3) Sea. This study will present scientific design technical choices parameterizations NEMO-Bohai model. The was calibrated evaluated with situ satellite observations ocean ice. simulations agree respect surface height (SSH), temperature (SST), salinity (SSS), currents, stratification. seasonal variation area is well simulated by compared remote sensing data period 1996–2017. Overall agreement found occurrence dates annual maximum area. thickness volume general slight overestimations. can simulate evolution long-term interannual variations. Hence, a valuable tool studies.