The Chesapeake Bay Environmental Forecasting System

Authors

Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs, Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceFollow
Aaron Bever Ph.D., Anchor QEAFollow
Susanna Musick, Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceFollow
Karen Hudson, Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceFollow

BOOC Keywords

biogeochemical, water quality, Chesapeake Bay, anglers, shellfish, IOOS

Abstract

The Chesapeake Bay Environmental Forecast System (CBEFS) uses a 3D coupled physical-biogeochemical model to simulate water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. The 3-D model is forced by weather conditions (winds, air temperature, etc.), river inputs, and an open boundary in the Atlantic Ocean. CBEFS is an entirely automated system that runs nightly in a high-performance-computing environment, to provide updated information to stakeholders each morning. Automated comparisons to observed data are conducted each morning to ensure CBEFS is performing as expected. The 3-D model has 20 layers in the vertical and a horizontal resolution of 600 meters, resulting in 1.2 million 3-D grid cells in the Bay, tributaries, and coastal ocean.

Recommended Citation

Friedrichs, Marjorie A.M.; Bever, Aaron Ph.D.; Musick, Susanna; and Hudson, Karen (2025) "The Chesapeake Bay Environmental Forecasting System," Benefits of Ocean Observing Catalog (BOOC): Vol. 3: Iss. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://cbe.miis.edu/booc/vol3/iss1/4

Document Type

Article