HYDROMOD provides and operates an operational high-resolution current and transport model system of the Southern North Sea and the eastern German Bight including the Wadden Sea off the coast of Schleswig-Holstein (see the graphics below). The system runs in operational mode using data from larger-scale oceanographic and weather forecasts as well as data measured by OMS devices. It routinely forecasts water level, currents and transport processes for several days. With this information forecasts can be realised like transport and dispersion of lost or leaking cargo including oil or chemical spills or drifting objects and overboarded seamen.

The results can be used for much more aspects andf objectives. The offshore industry needs reliable case studies for risk assesments and impact analyses as well as baseline data, statistics and forecasts for structural design, construction and operation of offshore sites like wind farms or oil & gas fields. Extreme situations like storm surges but also very low water stages which may hamper large sea going vessels to transit to/from ports especially through the estuaries can be predicted. Only simulation models can provide baseline data for estimation of future trends and tendencies wethehr these are for instance effects of predicted climate change or impacts of construction measures of ports, fairways or industrial plants in coastal regions. Another interesting objective is the assessment of sediment transport processes and tendencies which yield constantly strong morphological changes in the German Wadden Sea and estuaries and cause high costs for maintaining waterways and ports. Moreover, the displacements of tidal creeks and sandbanks is of utmost importance for safe navigation.

Furthermore, HYDROMOD hosts, operates and continuously updates the OMS webserver. The OMS-Web-Data-Centre is continuously updated by recent measurements and model forecasts as well as supplemented with new displays, data products and functionalities. Together with -4H- JENA engineering HYDROMOD contributes to the OMS Data Management System. This includes development and implementation of the system's control and data centre at the FTZ in Büsum as well adaptation and implementation of the system internal management and communication functionalities and the databases for short- and long-term archiving of data produced results.

The Wadden Sea model as part of the model of the North Sea.

Comparison of measured water level and model calculations at the tide gauge of Cuxhaven.

The figure on the left shows typical currents during flood as calculated with the coarse North Sea model. Every 4. arrow is shown. This corrsponds with every 144. arrow in the high-resolving model.

Besides the modelling part HYDROMOD is responsible for the presentation of results in the Internet via a dedicated user-friendly webserver and interface.