OceanSITES in the context of a global sustained ocean observing

system for climate

Albert Fischer and Boram Lee

IOC / UNESCO

The Global Ocean Observing System Joint WMO-IOC Technical Commission forOceanography and Marine Meteorology

Background: international coordination

• The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) exists as a mechanism for governments to coordinate marine science and observations, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) does the same for meteorology.

• A major program of the IOC is the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), which has defined scientific requirements for global ocean and coastal ocean observation systems

• Implementation of many of the elements of the system is coordinated by panels of the Joint WMO-IOC Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM)

Background: international coordination

• The Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) has ocean, atmosphere, and terrestrial components, and was designed to respond to the needs of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

• The World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) coordinates international climate research, with its CLIVAR project most involved with ocean observations and research

• Recommendations for the design of a sustained global ocean observing system for climate are the responsibility of the GCOS-GOOS-WCRP Ocean Observations Panel for Climate (OOPC)

System goals

Recommendations for a sustained global ocean observing system for climate have been developed, in wide consultation with the oceanographic community, by the OOPC. This system is designed to provide data and information products for:

– Climate monitoring and forecasting– Climate assessment– Climate research

it is also the foundation for global operational oceanography, including global weather prediction and marine forecasting, global and coastal ocean prediction and marine environmental monitoring

Implementation: plans

• The requirements and a 5- to 10-year phased implementation plan for the system were recently described in the GCOS Implementation Plan (GCOS-92, available at http://ioc.unesco.org/oopc/)

• It calls for sustained efforts in satellite and in situ ocean observing networks (including building to global coverage), data management, and product and analysis generation

• Strong links with research programs need to be maintained, for data collection, observing system evaluation, new technology to improve the system, and so that the observing system can respond to new scientific questions

Implementation: plans

• GCOS IP accepted by the UNFCCC in Dec 2004, with a call for regular reporting of progress against the implementation goals

• Accepted as a foundation for the GEO Climate societal benefit area

• Accepted by JCOMM as a foundation for observations programme area planning

• Excellent high-level acceptance, can we take advantage?

Observing networks statusagainst agreed goals for global coverage

57%

Total in situ networks February 200656%

99%

40%

82%

43%72%48%21%

79%OceanSITES coordinate a key component

The role of OceanSITES

Outline of the areas where OceanSITES can take action to add to the system

I. coordination with JCOMMII. coordination with JCOMM’s Data Buoy

Cooperation PanelIII. coordination with tsunami warning system

observing plansIV. scientific activities to promote long time

series observations

JCOMM vision

• Integrated ocean observing system

• Integrated data management

• State-of-the-art technologies and Capabilities

• New products and services

• User responsiveness and interaction

• Involvement of all maritime countries

JCOMM Structure

OceanSITES alreadyrecognized with informallinks

JCOMM Evaluation metrics

Reduce the error in global measurement of Sea surface Temperature

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1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Year

GPRA Goal

Requirement: 0.2°C - 0.5°C

Requirement: 0.2°C - 0.5°C accuracy; 500km horizontal resolution; 25 samples per week (GOOS/GCOS, 1999)

Performance Measure: Reduce the error in global measurement of Sea Surface Temperature

Metric: Potential satellite bias error (degrees Celsius)

Observing System Status: 2005, Q2.Sea Surface Temperature

Goal:100% Global CoverageDrifting Buoys

Moored BuoysShipsTotal

JCOMM Reporting

2003 2005

Systems Approach to StandardSystems Approach to StandardMapping and ReportingMapping and Reporting

The role of OceanSITES (I: JCOMM)

continue efforts to keep track of the system:• what is in the water, what is planned, what will

end• is the data available, and in a timely manner• how and by whom is the data being used• is the system responding to scientific goals

OceanSITES and DBCP

DBCP

• established in 1985 part of the Observations Programme Area of the JCOMM since 2001.

• Practical Achievements– Improvements in data quality and quantity

– Formation of regional action groups

– Establishment of effective QC procedures (QC monitoring network, QC system at Argos for data entering GTS )

– Involvement of oceanographic community

– Active forum for data buoy issues (Annual sessions, technical workshops and documents, Website and related discussion fora)

DBCP Regional Action Groups

Contribution to JCOMMOPS

• support to programme planning, implementation, and operations:

– observational data requirements,– technology, instrumentation, and costs,– operational status of observing networks (e.g.

identification of data sparse area),– deployment opportunities (by ship and air).

• International coordination for oceanographic and marine observations

http://www.jcommops.org DBCP

SOT (SOOPIP)

Argo

Challenges

• Deployment opportunities and strategies

• Re-seeding and enhancement of buoy networks

• Involvement of new groups: tsunami, OceanSITES

• Ongoing financial support for technical coordinator

• Vandalism

• New chemical and bio sensors

• New communications techniques and energy sources

• Smart platforms

Deployment & Maintenance

DBCP - OceanSITES Cooperation

• So far… technical assistance through TC/DBCP

– facilitating WMO number allocation

– Argos data processing, GTS distribution

* Assistance to TIP/TAO moorings (e.g. salinity processing

from conductivity, temperature and depth, etc.)

DBCP - OceanSITES Cooperation

for the future… : Data Management

• (real-time and delayed mode) data accessibility by GTS distribution

New data management practices

• Common approach to Metadata issue

JCOMM/OCG & DBCP workshop for establishing a pilot project to collect in real time metadata from SST and temperature profile data (28-29 March 2006, ECMWF, UK)

DBCP - OceanSITES Cooperation

for the future… : Deployment Opportunities

and Ship Time

• Sharing common resources

• Developing common strategy

Programme Programme

developing countries developed countries

DBCP - OceanSITES Cooperation

for the future… : Standardization and

Instrument issues

• Mutual benefit from common standards when

appropriate

• Instrument calibration and validation

• New sensor technologies

DBCP - OceanSITES Cooperation

for the future… : Advocacy at National /

Regional / Global levels

• National / agency level coordination & support

• Enhancing collaboration with other DBCP action groups

• Integration into the global plans of ocean observation such

as GEOSS

Tsunami early warning systems

• The coordination of tsunami early warning systems occurs via Intergovernmental Coordination Groups (ICGs) for the Pacific, Indian, and NE Atlantic/Mediterranean Seas, under the IOC, with help from other partners

• Sea level data needed for these systems have resulted in ambitious plans for moored sensors, and coordination with other moored platforms is key

Tsunami: ambitious plans

Indonesian-German TEWS Buoy Positions

Already deployed (Nov. 2005)

Planned until mid 2008

Tsunami: ambitious plans

A conceptual network of deep ocean gauges(advance extract from ICG/Indian Ocean report)

Tsunami: opportunities for coordination (III)

• Platform sharing• Ship time coordination• Technology sharing• Communications

An International Tsunameter Partnership for deep ocean gauges has been proposed. The concept will be further explored at the meeting of the ICG/Pacific Ocean (tentatively early May 2006, Melbourne, Australia)

Tsunami observations: national focal points

Coordination at the national level is necessary:

• Australia: Mr. K. Jarrott (Vice-chair)• India: Mr. K. Prem Kumar• Indonesia: Wahyu Pandoe• Malaysia: Mr Alui Bin Bahari• Thailand: Captain Witoon Tantigoon• Tanzania: Mr Shigalla Mahongo• USA: Dr Eddie Bernard• Germany: Dr. Joern Lanterjung• Kenya: Mr Ali Mafimbo Juma• Chile: Captain Rodrigo Nuñez

• continue to build the scientific case for long multidisciplinary time series

• continue publication of comparisons of time series with climatologies and climate products

• publicize the availability of data to other researchers

The role of OceanSITES (IV)