Abstract:

High resolution (0.01° x 0.01°)Gulf of Mexico bathymetric grid, version 1.0 generated in August 2011. Data are in HYCOM native format. Luis Zamudio-Lopez (NRL, Luis.Zamudio@nrlssc.navy.mil) kindly offered an initial 1=100°(~1000 m) bathymetric grid for the regionThis grid has been computationally modified and substantially hand edited (a) to better match the shoreline definition, (b) fill the voids in the water depths and (c) if possible, to more accurate represent the interpolated water depths. The final numerical grid conforms to the 1=25°(~4000 m) North Atlantic HYCOM computational domain, where they are both matched at 76:40 oW longitude. Data used in the development of the new grid include GSHHS: A Global Self-consistent, Hierarchical, High-resolution Shoreline Database, GEBCO 30 arc-sec global grid, and the National Geophysical Data Center’s (NGDC) 6 arc-sec U.S. Coastal Relief Model database, volumes: 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Suggested Citation:

Velissariou, Panagiotis. 2014. Gulf of Mexico High-Resolution (0.01° x 0.01°) Bathymetric Grid - Version 1, August 2011. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/N71Z42D3

Purpose:

Recent research goals require the use of a more accurate and of higher resolution bathymetry for the general area of the Gulf of Mexico. This bathymetry will be an integral part of a Gulf of Mexico prediction system (under development). To develop a regional 3D Earth System Model that includes interfacial exchange processes between sediment, water, and atmosphere; biogeochemical processes, the transport of organisms, and the effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on all of these processes.

Data Parameters and Units:

HYCOM parameters/definitions: plon, plat, qlon, qlat, ulon, ulat, vlon, vlat (decimal degrees) pang (decimal degrees) pscx, pscy, qscx, qscy, uscx, uscy, vscx, vscy (meters) bath1k_guide.pdf - Guide to Development of a High Resolution (0.01° x 0.01°) Regional Bathymetry for the Gulf of Mexico 77 eps Postscript Files plots for the grid points of the bathymetry. They are used to determine how well the grid matches the shoreline and to aid a further correction/adjustment of the grid (if needed). The postscript files are named as: gom area00 MINLON-MAXLON MINLAT-MAXLAT.eps (i.e., the domain has been divided in 77 areas gom bath-header-1kHC.dat : the header definitions for the bathymetry (e.g., idm, jdm, plon(max/min), qlon(max/min), etc. (ascii, HYCOM conformant). gom bath-latlon-1kHC.dat : the data for the longitude/latitude values (unformatted, big endian, HYCOM conformant). gom bath-depth-1kHC.dat : the data for the water depths (unformatted, big endian, HYCOM conformant). Various renders showing original, modified, and difference between bathymetrys

Individual Files: