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Your location: Home / Final GODAE Symposium / Invited papers / 2.2 EH abstract

2.2 In-situ observing systems and the relevance for GODAE

Lead author: Ed Harrison (NOAA)

Author/co-authors: Mike Johnson¹, David Meldrum², Graeme Ball³,Mark Merrifield⁴, Mike McPhaden⁵, Dean Roemmich⁶, Howard Freeland⁷, Gustavo Goni⁸, Peter Weller⁹, Uwe Send¹⁰, Maria Hood¹¹

¹NOAA/Climate Programme Office
²Scottish Association for Marine Science
³Australian BoM
⁴University of Hawaii, USA
⁵NOAA/PMEL, USA
⁶SIO/UCSD, USA
⁷Institute of Ocean Sciences, Canada
⁸NOAA/AOML, USA
⁹WHOI, USA
¹⁰SIO, USA
¹¹IOC/UNESCO

Abstract

An in-situ global ocean observing system for physical climate was conceived largely at the Ocean Observations conference in St. Raphael in Sept 1999. It was recognized that society did not have adequate information about the state of the world ocean or its regional variations to address a range of important societal needs, and the subsequent work by the marine carbon community and others in the ocean science and operational communities led to an agreed international plan that was described in the GCOS Implementation Plan (GCOS-92, 2004). We here describe the efforts that have been made to reach these goals. Thanks to these efforts, most of the ice free ocean above 2000m is now being observed systematically for the first time and a global repeat hydrographic survey and selected transport measurements supplement these networks.

The system is both integrated and composite. It depends upon satellite and in-situ networks with observations of the same variable from different sensors. In this way optimum use is made of all available platforms and sensors to maximize coverage and attain maximum accuracy. Wherever feasible observations are transmitted in real time or near-real time because it is desired to use every observation for as many purposes as possible, from short term ocean forecasting to estimation of century-long trends. Because our historical knowledge of oceanic variability is limited, we are learning about the sampling requirements and needed accuracies as the system is implemented and exploited, and the system will evolve as technology and knowledge improve.

(Last Updated: 13-10-2008)