Ocean Mesh Creation

The mpas_tools.ocean.build_mesh module is used create ocean-specific MPAS meshes using the mpas_tools.mesh.creation.build_mesh module.

Spherical meshes are constructed with the function mpas_tools.ocean.build_mesh.build_spherical_mesh(). The basic arguments are the same as those to mpas_tools.mesh.creation.build_mesh.build_spherical_mesh().

Similarly, planar meshes can be constructed with the function mpas_tools.ocean.build_mesh.build_planar_mesh(), which has the same basic arguments as mpas_tools.mesh.creation.build_mesh.build_planar_mesh().

Each of these functions has additional, optional arguments that allow users to:

  • specify a directory for extracting VTK geometry for viewing in ParaVeiw. The mpas_tools.viz.paraview_extractor.extract_vtk() function is used to produce a VTK file in this directory, named base_mesh_vtk by default.

  • Specify whether to preserve a region of the mesh above sea level as a floodplain, and the elevation up to which this regions should remain part of the mesh. This feature is used in coastal simulations that support wetting and drying. A field, cellSeedMask, is added to the mesh file that can later be used preserve the floodplain. See mpas_tools.ocean.inject_preserve_floodplain.inject_preserve_floodplain().

  • Whether to add a default bathymetry data set to the mesh. A field, bottomDepthObserved, is added to the mesh file with bathymetry data from one of two topography files: earth_relief_15s.nc or topo.msh. If bathymetry should be added to the mesh, a local link with one of these file names must exist. See mpas_tools.ocean.inject_bathymetry.inject_bathymetry().