POLCOMS sensitivity analysis to river temperature proxies, surface salinity flux and river salinity in the Irish Sea

This report contains an investigation into the best setup for the 1.8km POLCOMS model of the Irish Sea. It begins with an introduction into the existing POLCOMS model and what I hope to achieve. I will be adding both atmospheric temperature as a proxy for river temperature into the model, and precipitation data together with surface salinity flux calculations, validating the output and performing model-model comparisons to evaluate under which configuration the model is optimum. I will also investigate the effect of river source salinity on the model simulation by running the model four times, each with a different initial saline concentration, namely, 0, 15, 20 and 25psu. Again I will validate the model and measure the effect on performance. Finally, I will take the best of these model setups and re-run without waves checking the run time is reduced and validating again. This final run will be used to provide boundary conditions for a study of the tidal mixing front in Liverpool Bay using a high resolution (180m) model.