The Structured and Unstructured grid Relocatable ocean platform for Forecasting (SURF) is an advanced on-demand ocean modeling platform designed to configure, execute, and analyze high-resolution, nested ocean simulations for any region of the global ocean.
By enabling the downscaling of large-scale ocean products to regional and coastal domains, SURF provides the high-spatial resolution needed to capture fine-scale oceanographic processes that are typically unresolved by coarse-resolution models.
Includes multiple nesting approaches with NEMO reaching very high-resolutions (down to hundreds of meters) and cross-scale seamless modeling with SHYFEM, using a single grid to represent different scales, from the basin to the shelf-coastal to the near-shore scale, up to the estuaries.
Provides a comprehensive suite of tools for preprocessing, (mesh generation, data download/remapping) and post-processing (visualization, analysis), streamlining your entire modeling pipeline.
Distributed as both a Docker and VirtualBox image, pre-configured with all necessary libraries and software for immediate use.
A user-friendly web-based Graphical User Interface is under development to simplify model setup, execution monitoring, visualization, and results analysis.
SURF is a versatile ocean modeling platform designed to support a wide range of Decision Support System (DSS) applications needs:
Track and forecast oil spill trajectories for rapid response.
Enhance rescue operations with reliable, high-resolution forecasting of currents.
Improve route planning and navigation safety through high-resolution fields.
Monitor and assess fishery resources with high-quality oceanographic data.
Provide forecasts for beach safety and water quality.
Support coastal ecosystem protection and climate adaptation.
The SURF platform follows a structured workflow that automates key steps in configuring and running a downscaling experiment. The schematic diagrams below illustrate each stage of this process.
Specify input parameters for preprocessing (data sources, interpolation methods, etc.), simulation (time steps, output frequency, parameterizations, etc.), and post-processing settings (visualization and data analysis).
The system automatically downloads and prepares input data for the Ocean Model:
The selected ocean model executes, producing high-resolution fields in your chosen region.
Visualize outputs, compare parent/child fields, validate results, and convert datasets for further analysis.