The dissipation formulation for bottom friction is based on the empirical JONSWAP model by Hasselmann et al. (1973) with a constant

dissipation coefficient 17-AAG price of −0.067. For the depth-induced wave breaking, the formulation of Battjes and Janssen (1978) was implemented. The wind input function and whitecapping dissipation function are based on the formulation of Makin and Stam (2003). In conditions when the waves run opposite to the wind direction the formulation by Young and Sobey (1985) was used. The corresponding dissipation function has been formulated according to Makin and Stam (2003). At the ISAC-CNR (Italy) a numerical weather prediction chain is implemented. The model framework comprises the hydrostatic model BOLAM and the non-hydrostatic model MOLOCH, nested in BOLAM. The initial and boundary conditions are derived from

the analyses (00 UTC) and forecasts of the GFS (NOAA/NCEP, USA) global Selleckchem Anticancer Compound Library model http://www.emc.ncep.noaa.gov/GFS. BOLAM is operated with a horizontal grid spacing of 0.10 deg in rotated coordinates (spatial resolution about 11 km), with 50 vertical levels. Moist deep convection is parameterized using the Kain–Fritsch convective scheme, updated on the basis of the revision proposed by Kain (2004) and completely recoded imposing conservation of liquid water static energy. Moreover, additional modifications with respect to the Kain, 2004 version were introduced in order to stabilize a little more efficiently the lower troposphere. The BOLAM Demeclocycline model provides forecasts up to 3 days in advance over a domain which comprises Europe and the whole Mediterranean Sea. The non-hydrostatic

MOLOCH model has a horizontal grid spacing of 0.021 deg, corresponding to 2.3 km, with 54 vertical levels. Moist deep convection is computed explicitly using direct simulation of the microphysical processes (Drofa and Malguzzi, 2004). MOLOCH forecasts are provided up to 48 h over Italy. See Buzzi et al., 1994, Malguzzi et al., 2006 and Richard et al., 2007 for further details about the BOLAM and MOLOCH models. The BOLAM and MOLOCH data (namely 10 m wind and mean sea level pressure) is made available at hourly frequency for the duration of the respective forecast intervals, starting at 00 UTC of each day (03 for MOLOCH), on the original model grids. Such meteorological forcing are then interpolated on the finite element marine models grid. For the first two days of forecast the interpolated fields are obtained combining the MOLOCH data over the Italian peninsula and the BOLAM data for the remaining Mediterranean region. The BOLAM model provides all data for the third day of forecast. The GFS data (available at 0.5 deg resolution) is used to force the oceanographic model during the fourth day of forecast.