The Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS) will be used as a tool for all testing and evaluation of newly developed surface flux parameterizations.  We will focus on the geographical area of the U.S. northeast coast for two reasons.  The first is to establish a COAMPS grid consistent with the expected CBLAST observational field program for low-wind (and possibly high-wind) events. Measurements from CBLAST field programs will be used to evaluate the current state of parameterizations in COAMPS including the Louis and COARE surface flux parameterizations and the Mellor-Yamada Level 2.5 boundary layer parameterization.  Additionally, data collected from previous field studies with special emphasis on the low-wind regime will be used.  The second reason to focus on the northeast coast of the U.S. is to establish collaboration with the Rutgers University Coastal Ocean Observation Lab (COOL).  In this collaboration COAMPS will forecast stresses and fluxes available to the Longterm Ecosystem Observatory (LEO-15) science program.  The performance of the COOL ocean model relative to the COAMPS surface fluxes will serve as one metric for the evaluation of these fluxes.
        A CBLAST parameterization repository (CPR) will be established to assist in collaborations with other CBLAST-funded groups for the testing and potential implementation of new surface flux parameterizations into COAMPS.  The proposed CPR will enable rapid dissemination of new surface flux parameterization software technology to the CBLAST community and will provide a means to facilitate testing and evaluation within COAMPS.  The goal of the CPR is to provide a mechanism for the CBLAST community to work closely with the Navy CBLAST scientists at NRL-MRY and NPS in a collaborative manner so that testing, evaluation, and an ultimate transition to the COAMPS operational numerical prediction systems can occur in a timely fashion.
        A third goal is to establish a complete dataset that will be used for model evaluation and improvements.  We will select observational cases under various large-scale and mesoscale conditions from both past and future field experiments, with priorities given to those with the most complete measurements representing both spatial and temporal variations capable of producing turbulence statistics in the marine atmospheric boundary layers.  For each selected case, in addition to analysis of the spatial and temporal variations of boundary layer height and mean thermodynamic properties, we will also perform statistical analysis for turbulence fluxes and variances, spectral analysis on turbulence length scales, and budget analysis for boundary layer and surface layer mean thermodynamic properties and turbulence kinetic energy.  Results from these analyses will form the matrix for model-observation intercomparisons. The data analysis effort will be closely integrated with the COAMPS development effort.