global ocean observing systems achievements, perspectives and challenges mathieu belbeoch...

Global Ocean Observing Systemsachievements, perspectives

and challenges

Mathieu Belbeochm.belbeoch@unesco.org

OCOSS’2010 ConferenceBrest/France

21st June 2010

• Gobal Ocean Observing Systems– in-situ– under GOOS/GCOS and the joint WMO/IOC Commission for

Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM)

• Why do we need them ?• International infrastructure• GOOS backbone• Perspectives

2Outline

• An increasing concern about global change and its regional impacts

• Sea level is rising at an accelerating rate of ~3mm / year, Arctic sea ice cover is shrinking, high latitudes are warming rapidly, …

• Extreme weather events (Hurricanes, ice storms, record rainfalls, heat waves, El Niño, etc) cause loss of life and enormous burden on the insurance industry.

• Though humans are mainly interested in the response of the atmospheric weather systems the keys of seasonal climate problem lie in the ocean.

3Why do we need ocean observations ?

A ROBUST WARMING OF THE UPPER OCEAN

The warming ocean is revealed by changes in heat content from 1993 to 2008, shown by the black line with error bars, as constructed by Lyman et al.

Understanding and predicting changes in both the atmosphere and ocean are needed to:

• Predict impacts on coastal communities and nations

• improve safety and efficiency of maritime operations and provide an efficient response to marine accidents

• mitigate effects of natural hazards (and non-natural as oil-spills)• Improve prediction of track and landfall of severe weather systems

• guide international action and optimize government's policies• shape economic strategies (fisheries, agriculture, finance, insurance, energy)

• enable the sustained use of ocean and coastal resources• reduce public health risks, protect ecosystems, ...

4Why do we need ocean observations?

• Easy to understand why global atmospheric observations are needed to meet local needs

• Benefits of a sustained global system for meteorology were widely recognised since more than 200 years

• basic principles of operational meteorology and oceanography:Common standards/formats for data collection, quality control and analysisFree and open exchange of data/information

• The case for sustained integrated global ocean observations is much less obvious

• Oceans out of sight, out of mind for most decision makers and the general public ... Despite the huge potential offered by the ocean...

• ... Despite the fact that a large part of humanity lives in coastal regions

5Why do we need ocean observations?

• Before the 80s, most of ocean observations were made via research vessels (specific regional campains, expensive, data never realeased or years after)

• The advent of satellite measurements, particularly surface topography from altimeters, as well as routine measurements from in-situ moorings and autonomous free floating instruments, led to enormous improvements in our fundamental understanding of the ocean.

• Socio economic benefits of global ocean observations were formally recognized in 1990 (GOOS establishment)

http://ioc-goos.org

• The joint IOC/WMO commission for oceanography and marine meteorology was then established in 1999 (JCOMM)

Clear interdisciplinary requirements, minimize duplication of effortsBridge between oceanographers and marine meteorologistsIntegration of expertise, implementation plans, information streams, serviceshttp://www.jcomm.info

6International Coordination

• Global observing programmes are funded & implemented nationally• International coordination required

– Through dedicated Panels (DBCP, SOT, Argo, OceanSITES, IOCCP, GLOSS,...)

– Between• Member States• Funding agencies• Platform operators, Prog. Managers, Principal Investigators• Satellite data telecommunication providers• Instrument, sensor manufacturers• Data centres, archiving centres, data users

• JCOMM: successful as an implementation mechanism, by coordinating and developing standard procedures and best practices for fully integrated marine observing, data management, and services system.

7International Coordination

• The JCOMM Observing Programme Support Centre, JCOMMOPS is hosted by France (with CLS and Ifremer support) and monitor on a day to day basis the status of the global arrays (since 2001).

• 3-person operation centre based in Toulouse and funded entirely through extra-budgetary sources, is now an indispensable and highly regarded component of the observing system coordination process, providing a range of metadata, logistics and technical support for the panels as well as for some external bodies.

• Efforts are now underway to partner with new implementation bodies (including space agencies) and attract additional funding to allow expansion of the JCOMMOPS functions to cover further components of the in situ observing system, and also enhance integration of satellite and in situ observations.

• Synergies to be developed with Brest (Ifremer, MF)

8International Coordination

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• Ship Observation Team (~2000 ships)The work of the SOT consists of several very successful and enduring data collection programmes (over 100 years), involving voluntary observing ships and ships of opportunity operated through the VOS and SOOPIP.

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A long tradition of voluntary ocean data collection by the world’s seamen gathering essential variables used for research, climate forecasting, numerical weather prediction and maritime safety .

Coverage declining (difficulty to recruit new ships in some areas)

• SOOP XBT network

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Needs: •Research-quality deep (2000 m) XBT, •Next generation automatic XBT launcher, •Modernization/standardization of data management system.

Data Buoy Cooperation Panels: ~1250 surface drifters & ~400 mooringshttp://dbcp.jcommops.org

Surface drifters, tropical/coastal moorings, ice buoys, ...

Data Buoy Cooperation Panels: ~1250 surface drifters & ~400 mooringshttp://dbcp.jcommops.org

Data Buoy Cooperation Panels: ~1250 surface drifters & ~400 mooringshttp://dbcp.jcommops.org

Barometers added on drifters in the last decadeNeed to enhance global wave observationsSouthern Ocean coverage is an issue

OceanSITES www.oceansites.org

Needs: data distribution, standards/QC for bio-geochemical variables.

A worldwide system of long-term, deepwater reference stations measuring dozens of variables and monitoring the full depth of the ocean from air-sea interactions down to 5,000 meters.

~3000 Profiling floats: Argo ProgrammeA revolutionary achievement for subsurface observationsAn unprecedented cooperative effort in the history of oceanographyA crucial mechanism to better understand the warming of the upper oceanInnovative data system

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$15 000 / unit800-1000 units deployed / year150-200 cycles (4-5 years)Temperature/Salinity profiles (~100 levels)Manufacturers: USA, France, Germany

100 000 profiles / yearFloat buoyancy can be adjusted via an

inflatable external bladder,so the float can surface and dive.

Float technology: ideal autonomous platform

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Challenges:

-Funding (Argo is 20% underfunded - total cost $20M only) to be sustained-Logistics: no much opportunities in the Southern Ocean-Political: Exclusive Economic Zones access

-Future: -Two ways telecommunications (Iridium, Argos-3) – use of downlink / cyclones-Near surface measurements-High latitudes & marginal seas-Deeper floats-Multidisciplinary ancillary arrays for studying biogeochemical and ecosystems impacts of climate change (“BioArgo”)-Coastal ?

Caution for the future:

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More than 30% of the Argo array operates in Member States EEZs

Waiting international agreements, transparency and cooperation are essential

Many other observing systems are emerging and will complete the GOOS:- Polar systems (Met. / Oceano)- Marine mammals equipped with sensors

- Find holes in ice-covered regions- Multidisciplinary approach

- Gliders (regional)- Guided- Multi sensors- expensive

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Needs: (international) Scientific Steering Teamand Data Management Team participating to the international coordination infrastructure

• Urgent to make the critical importance of observing the oceans more widely understood

– Demonstrating the value of the each element and of the integrated system– Demonstrating and quantifying the socio economic benefits

• Urgent to complete and sustain funding (implementation, data management , coordination)

• Observing Systems success relies on:– Clear scientific and operational requirements– Feasibility and cost effectiveness– Rigor with regard to instrumentation calibration and data quality control– Standard, open and unrestricted data stream (ocean data are a global public good)– International coordination and cooperation – Constant cooperation between research and operational communities, between marine

meteorologists and oceanographers, between physical and biological oceanographers

22Conclusion

• Science of climate changes requires these global systems to be sustained for the very long term with a top quality of data/metadata.The payback will come with next generations.

• The potential of outreach and educational initiatives is enormous and under exploited.

• While autonomous platform have became the backbone of the system, ships remain essential

• Collaboration with developing/developed countries will be crucial (in particular with the African continent – a priority for IOC/UNESCO).

On behalf of the IOC executive secretary, Wendy Watson-Wright, I wish you a productive and enjoyable conference.

23Conclusion

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Acknowledgements to the JCOMM/GOOS community for various inputs

Thank you