ACCESS-OM2 is the moniker used to describe the suite of ACCESS global ocean – sea ice models, as well as to specifically refer to the default 1° model version (described here). ACCESS-OM2 is comprised of the MOM5.1 ocean model coupled to the CICE5.1.2 sea ice model via OASIS3-MCT. It is designed to be consistent with the full coupled version of ACCESS (ACCESS-CM2).
The model is global, extending from the North Pole to the Antarctic ice shelf edge. The model lateral resolution is 1° at the Equator, with a tripolar grid north of 65°N and Mercator projection between 65°N and 65°S, with uniform meridional spacing from 65°S to the Antarctic ice shelf edge. It has 50 vertical levels. The model is configured to run with the JRA55-do forcing dataset.
Further details on version 1.0 of the model are available in Kiss et al. (2020). The latest model code and standard configurations are available via GitHub, with full instructions for downloading the source code and compiling and running the model. ACCESS-OM2 is being used for a growing number of research projects. A partial list of publications using the model suite is given here.
Model Output
Results from the model are stored at NCI and released freely for community use; some are also published on the COSIMA data collection. We recommend analysing the model output in Python using xarray, dask, and the COSIMA Cookbook. See here for overviews of the key runs; other runs can be discovered via the Cookbook’s data explorer.