The technology

Current Lab’s ocean forecasts are generated by computational physics models run using powerful cloud computing.

We start by creating a 3D representation of the region to capture the seafloor depths, islands, and coastlines — all of which affect how the currents are steered.

Tides and ocean currents (like the Gulf Stream) are forced into models at the open boundaries. In some regions, rivers are also used as model inputs.

Finally, the ocean model is “coupled” to a weather forecast which provides the critical wind forcing. The specifics of which wind model is used will depend on the region.

The enabling tech stack:

  • Satellite

    1. Observational Datasets

    Measurements from NASA satellites, NOAA buoys, and more monitor the world’s oceans 24/7. This data is fed into the ocean forecast models to increase the accuracy.

  • Computer code

    2. Ocean Physics Software

    Cutting-edge hydrodynamics codebases are continually developed, maintained, and refined by an international community of scientists. Current Lab then applies these physics solvers to simulate specific regions of the ocean.

  • Computer Server

    3. Cloud Computing

    The increasing power of cloud computing makes it possible to scale up rapidly by adding new ocean regions without the need to purchase on-site computing hardware.