Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory's (NRL's)
Marine Meteorology Division and Space Science Division recently received the Department of the Navy Acquisition Excellence Technology Transition Award. They are recognized for their work on a new generation atmospheric global prediction system. The award honors individuals and teams for outstanding contributions in promoting competition and innovation in the Navy and Marine Corps acquisition process.
The NRL-developed Navy Global Environmental Model (NAVGEM) is a high-resolution global weather prediction system representing a significant milestone in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) system development introducing a semi-Lagrangian/semi-implicit (SL/SI) dynamical core with advanced moisture and ozone physical parameterization schemes.
NAVGEM replaces the existing NOGAPS, which was introduced in 1982. NAVGEM allows for much higher model resolutions and excludes the need for small time steps to include cloud liquid water, cloud ice water, and ozone as fully predicted constituents. NAVGEM contains new moisture, solar radiation, and longwave-radiation parameterizations and upgrades to the data assimilation component to complete the 180-hour forecast in the allotted operation window.
NAVGEM was delivered to Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC) on September 30, 2012, and entered official operation in March 2013. NAVGEM is part of the global modeling 'bridging strategy' where the Navy and the National Weather Service (NWS) jointly develop a national global forecasting system named Earth System Prediction Capability (ESPC) that will be fielded in the 2020 timeframe.