Status and outlook of ocean modeling research dispersion and related applications

This report describes a working, interconnected, multiscale hierarchy of transport models assembled under the auspices of Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) to study ocean dispersion and transport related to assessing the feasibility of waste disposal in deep ocean sediments. The work was performed by scientists from SNL, Harvard University, and other US and international institutions, and builds upon the results of two decades of basic research in ocean modeling. However, we focus here on SNL accomplishments and contributions. The report describes the new model system and its applications by collecting, expanding, synthesizing, and updating earlier papers and reports. Its purpose is to inform, to make available latest scientific developments and selected results in a concise and timely fashion, and to highlight research directions for the immediate future. The report is aimed broadly at oceanographic scientists and modelers. Thus, general familiarity with basic oceanographic and modeling concepts, and related terminology is assumed