2.3. The numerical model
The numerical model used in this study is the Regional Ocean
Modelling System (ROMS). ROMS (Shchepetkin and McWilliams,
2005) is a three-dimensional, hydrostatic, primitive equation ocean
model that solves the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations on
a horizontal orthogonal curvilinear Arakawa “C” grid and uses
stretched terrain following coordinates in the vertical (Warner et
al., 2005). The model prognostically solves the transport equations for
temperature and salinity and also includes full air–sea flux interactions
(wind and salt and heat fluxes), bottom boundary layer formulations
and fresh water supply, among other features. ROMS has
been used to model water circulation in a variety of different regions
of the world's oceans, ranging from the basin to the local scale (see
http://roms.mpl.ird.fr for a complete list of applications). Focusing on
small scale domains such as Barcelona harbour, Kim and Lim (2008)
have implemented ROMS at a 200 m of grid resolution; Grifoll et al.
(2009) recently used ROMS at a very high resolution configuration
(spatial resolution of 32 m) in the Bilbao harbour (Bay of Biscay).