Numerical models for simulating ocean physics

<strong class="journal-contentHeaderColor">Abstract.</strong> We describe, at an elementary level, the spatially varying properties of the ocean that physical ocean models represent, the principles they use to evolve these properties with time, the physical phenomena that they simulate, and some of the roles these phenomena play within the Earth system. We describe at an intermediate level the governing equations the models use and the grids that they typically use and, at a more advanced technical level, the methods and approximations that the models use and the difficulties that limit their accuracy or reliability. We also briefly describe the wider context and future prospects for the development of these models.