Verification and training of real-time forecasting of multi-scale ocean dynamics for maritime rapid environmental assessment

The Harvard Ocean Prediction System (HOPS) provides real-time and hindcast, multi-scale oceanic field estimates for Maritime Rapid Environmental Assessment (MREA). Results of aspects of the validation, calibration and verification of HOPS for MREA03 and MREA04 are presented, with implications for future MREA exercises. A new method of model training, via bias correction through the use of limited data, was applied to MREA03 and shown to produce significant forecast improvement while reducing computational requirements. Advances in, and the demand for, adaptive modeling, require that aspects of validation, calibration and verification be carried out in real-time in order to expand the usage and relevance of dynamical forecast-based MREA tactical decision aids.