Die Küste, 81 (2014), 273-290 
274 
Contents 
1 Introduction 274 
2 Model system 275 
2.1 Equations 275 
2.2 Setups / bathymetry 275 
2.3 Forcing 277 
2.4 Operational schedule / Computer facilities 277 
2.5 Archive 277 
3 Validation 278 
3.1 Water level 278 
3.1.1 North Sea 278 
3.1.2 Baltic Sea 280 
3.2 Currents 281 
3.3 Water temperature 282 
3.4 Salinity 283 
3.5 Sea Ice 284 
4 Results 284 
4.1 Elbe flood in June 2013 284 
4.2 Cyclone Xaver at 5th and 6th December 2013 285 
5 Outlook 286 
5.1 Operational schedule/Computer facilities 287 
5.2 Data assimilation 287 
5.3 High resolution estuary setups 287 
5.4 Ecosystem modelling 288 
5.5 Coupled models 288 
5.6 Upgrade of computing facilities/massive parallelization 288 
6 References 288 
1 Introduction 
The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) has a large need for ocean fore 
casting data to run its internal operational services, e.g. the sea level prediction and storm 
surge warning service and the ice service, and to support external customers like the na 
tional search-and-rescue centres, die Central Command for Maritime Emergencies or die 
German Navy. In order to fulfill all tiiese operational obligations BSH runs and maintains 
a comprehensive numerical ocean forecasting system which is under permanent revision. 
Operational modelling at BSH has already a considerable history starting at die prede 
cessor institution DHI in die early 1980s and was in the beginning focused on the Nortii 
Sea. Storm surge forecasting at die German Coast was — and still is — an important issue 
and thus was one of die applications that was tackled first. Later on die region of interest 
was extended to include the Baltic Sea which led to a fruitful cooperation in the Baltic