A global ocean timeseries observatory system Ocean SITES

A global ocean timeseries observatory system (Ocean. SITES) Uwe Send and Robert Weller Co-Chairs, Ocean. SITES

A global ocean timeseries observatory system is under development internationally • Started as GOOS/CLIVAR/POGO sponsored (via OOPC/COOP) activity • The system is multidisciplinary in nature, providing physical, meteorological, chemical, biological and geophysical timeseries observations • Goal is to make the data are publicly available as soon as received and quality-controlled by the owner/operator • An International Steering Team provides guidance, coordination, outreach, and oversight for the implementation, data management and capacity building (18 scientists operating sites, representing all ocean disciplines) • A pilot system (2001 -2006) has been defined consisting of all operating sites and those planned to be established within 5 years, subject to evaluation in terms of the qualifying criteria by the Science Team.

Near-term map of the assembly of global timeseries sites

Science applications (monitor, detect, understand predict): • CO 2 uptake by the ocean • biological productivity, biomass, ecosystem variables and fluxes • air-sea fluxes • thermohaline changes, water mass transformation • rapid or episodic changes (mixed-layer, blooms, convection, MOC, etc) • mass/heat transports (boundary current, over/throughflows, MOC) • geophysics Operational applications: • reference data forecasting systems (in-situ biogeochemical) • constraints (e. g. transports) for assimilation runs • detection of events • validation of products Technical applications (reference/calibrate/verify/. . . ) : • air-sea fluxes • remotely sensed variables (SST, wind, color) • sensor calibration (VOS, T/S of floats, . . . ) • model statistics, physics and parameterizations (and their variability) • providing sound signals for float naviation, acoustic tomography • testbed for new instrumentation

A realistic vision is a sustained global network of observatories, coordinated among many countries, serving many disciplines, providing data and products freely and in real-time. . . Sustained implementation and operation will be facilitated by the following developments which exist or are under way. . .

Development #1: Routine multi-disciplinary observations (physical, atmospheric, biogeochemical, geophysical, biological, tsunami) Geodetic/oceanographic mooring Labrador Sea convection and CO 2 Bottom pressure Also zooplankton, fish, mammals. . .

Development #2: Telemetry systems and standardization Acoustic: - mooring sensors buoy - bottom sensors buoy Spar buoy for high-bandwidth satellite telemetry and power generation Inductive: - mooring sensors buoy Cables: - mooring/bottom sensors shore Satellite links: - Iridium, ARGOS - high-bandwidth systems Glider relais: - acoustic link to mooring/ bottom sensors, transmission via satellite when at surface Standardization: - agreed protocols (e. g. TCPIP) and hardware standards (signal levels, baud rate, acoustic encoding, etc)

Development #3: Mooring technologies reduced fouling, reduced vandalism Available now or in near future: surface and subsurface moorings, winched systems, cabled moorings, high-latitude spar buoys, virtual moorings, under-ice moorings, . . .

Development #4: Interdisciplinary and international Coordination International coordination is critical for sharing resources, addressing global issues, standardization and harmonization, attracting and serving a user community, data management, visibility and advocacy. . . Ocean. SITES Sharing and coordination across disciplines strengthens sites for sustained moorings. The US ORION global mooring community merged the interests of physical oceanography, air-sea interaction, biogeochemistry, and geophysics to identify a prioritized list of sites of high multi-disciplinary interest. Seeking collaboration with Tsunami warning buoy system !

Development #5: Globally coordinated, consistent, efficient data management (strategies, technologies, infrastructure for ocean observatories) Need: • data from the entirety of operational systems have to be easily available, in a single operation, in homogeneous formats • metadata vocabulary independent of sensors and platforms and disciplines Solutions: Infrastructure: - centralized global ftp servers (ARGO, GOSUD, Global Drifter Center, …) - distributed systems Open. Dap (some major projects are starting… ) - Catalogues (JComm. Ops, EDIOS) Syntax: - Net. CDF format definitions (ARGO, Ocean. SITES, …) - GTS formats (DBCP, VOS, ARGO, …. ) Progress made within single projects/communities (ARGO, GOSUD, Ocean. SITES, Mersea…)

Data management (continued…. ) Plan and Vision for Ocean. SITES - A Data Team has been created to set up the Data Management system (Chair: S. Pouliquen) - 2 global data portals based on Open. Dap structure (under construction in Ocean. SITES) - Net. CDF format has been defined in consistency with other/prior program (e. g. ARGO) and with the US DMAC philosophy - multi-disciplinary data from all (public) deep-ocean timeseries sites will be available in real-time, with single queries - more challenging since several communities need to come together

Development #6: Sustained support (funding, infrastructure, organization, operation) GEO (Group on Earth Observation) http: //earthobservations. org Achieve comprehensive, coordinated and sustained observations of the Earth system • to improve monitoring of the state of the Earth • to increase understanding of Earth processes • to enhance prediction of the behavior of the Earth system. Timely, quality long-term global information as a basis for sound decision making. The ocean component is a major element of GEO, and will include an observatory/mooring network. Many countries are committing to GEO and to setting up the GEOSS. GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) http: //www. gmes. info A concerted European effort to build end-to-end system for monitoring the environment and increasing civil security • make environmental and security-related information available • provide enhanced or new services It is planned to include an organization for operational ocean observation, which is a natural home for an operational mooring activity. NOAA: http: //www. noaa. gov The US NOAA Office of Global Programs is supporting a number of sustained “ocean reference stations“, with a projected growth towards a larger contribution to a global network.

Development #7: Interaction with users and definition/provision of products Like other operational systems, mooring needs also have to be defined by applications and users • environmental and climate monitoring • • modelling and forecasting (validation) “reference stations“ management of natural/living resources hazard warning and mitigation. . Add value to data by providing products and indicators, e. g. - intensity of processes (air-sea fluxes, critical vertical/horizontal exchanges, productivity, . . ) - state and health of the ocean&atmosphere (physics/climate, ecosystem, inventories, chemicals, populations, . . . ) - forecast/warning indicators (El Nino, NAO, blooms, pollution, earthquake, . . . )

Definition of an ocean timeseries site in the global system (requirements): • Sustained in-situ observations at fixed geographic locations of ocean/climate related quantities at a sampling rate high enough to unambiguously resolve the signals of interest. • Transport sections using whatever technique are included in choke points and major boundary current systems (moorings, gliders, ship ADCP, tomography, etc) • Coastal timeseries are included when they are instrumented to have multidisciplinary impact on the global observing system and if they are not part of a national coastal buoy network. • Any implemented site fulfilling criteria will become part of the system but has to deliver its data into the system and to demonstrate successful operation and value after 5 years. • Real-time data telemetry of operational variables will be pursued, i. e. make effort if technically feasible • Data should be made public in near real-time for real-time data or as soon as processed and post-calibrated for other data

Some examples: Salinity at BRAVO in Labrador Sea (J. Lazier 1980) Zooplankton and NAO in subpolar N. Atlantic (courtesy C. Reid)

More examples. . TAO temperatures in eastern Pacific (courtesy M. Mc. Phaden) Mixed-layer carbon parameters at HOT (Keeling et al. )

CIS site

PAP site

Benefits and added value of a coordinated global system: - linking up changes at different locations - detecting patterns variables - understanding differences between regimes - spreading/propagation of signals/changes - harmonize/share technologies - cross-community synergy, linked - common data management and access - common advocacy Example: transport sites for thermohaline circulation

Example: variability in carbon uptake Net CO 2 flux (from N. Gruber) (Takahashi et al 1995)

Example: Coordinated ecosystem changes (Chavez et al)