1,861 research outputs found
World weather program
A brief description of the Global Weather Experiment is presented. The world weather watch program plan is described and includes a global observing system, a global data processing system, a global telecommunication system, and a voluntary cooperation program. A summary of Federal Agency plans and programs to meet the challenges of international meteorology for the two year period, FY 1980-1981, is presented
Serving GODAE Data and Products to the Ocean Community
The Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE [http://
www.godae.org]) has spanned a decade of rapid technological development. The ever-increasing volume and diversity of oceanographic data produced by in situ instruments, remote-sensing platforms, and computer simulations have driven
the development of a number of innovative technologies that are essential for connecting scientists with the data that they need. This paper gives an overview of the technologies that have been developed and applied in the course of GODAE, which now provide users of oceanographic data with the capability to discover, evaluate, visualize, download, and analyze data from all over the world. The key to this
capability is the ability to reduce the inherent complexity of oceanographic data by providing a consistent, harmonized view of the various data products. The challenges of data serving have been addressed over the last 10 years through the cooperative skills and energies of many individuals
Applications of satellite and marine geodesy to operations in the ocean environment
The requirements for marine and satellite geodesy technology are assessed with emphasis on the development of marine geodesy. Various programs and missions for identification of the satellite geodesy technology applicable to marine geodesy are analyzed along with national and international marine programs to identify the roles of satellite/marine geodesy techniques for meeting the objectives of the programs and other objectives of national interest effectively. The case for marine geodesy is developed based on the extraction of requirements documented by authoritative technical industrial people, professional geodesists, government agency personnel, and applicable technology reports
A self-contained wind speed, direction and location system for buoys and ships in the World Ocean Circulation Experiment
Knowledge of the absolute wind velocity near the surface of the ocean is a requirement of the World Ocean Circulation
Experiment (WOCE) and other large programs directed towards understanding air-sea interactions and how ocean circulation and
climate are interrelated. The measurement is made possible using IMET (Improved METeorology) modules, a next generation
meteorological data acquisition system developed as part of the WOCE program. An IMET system consists of a set of intelligent
modules for each measurement variable, with data being recorded on a computer, typically PC-based. The IMET wind module
includes a propeller for wind speed, a vane and optical encoder for wind direction, a flux gate compass for the north reference, and
microprocessor-based electronics for control and data formatting. The IMET Global Positioning System (GPS) module includes a
five chanel GPS receiver and microprocessor based electronics for control and data formatting. These modules, as part of the
complete measurement suite, result in a self-contained system that can make accurate measurements from research ships, drifting
and moored buoys, and volunteer observing ships (VOS).Funding was provided by Grant No. OCE-8709614 from the National Science Foundation
Review of existing and operable observing systems and sensors
Deliverable 1.4 is aimed at identification of existing and operable observing systems and sensors which are relevant to COMMON SENSE objectives. Report aggregates information on existing observing initiatives, programmes, systems, platforms and sensors.
The Report includes:
• inventory of previous and current EU funded projects. Some of the them, even if started before 2007, were aimed at activities which are relevant or in line with those stemming from MSFD in 2008. The ‘granulation’ of the contents and objectives of the projects varies from sensors development through observation methodologies to monitoring strategies,
• inventory of research infrastructure in Europe. It starts from an attempt to define of Marine Research Infrastructure, as there is not a single definition of Research Infrastructure (RI) or of Marine Research Infrastructure (MRI), and there are different ways to categorise them. The chapter gives the categorization of the MRI, together with detailed description and examples of MRI – research platforms, marine data systems, research sites and laboratories with respect of four MSFD descriptors relevant to COMMON SENSE project,
• two chapters on Research Programs and Infrastructure Networks; the pan-European initiatives aimed at cooperation and efficient use of infrastructural resources for marine observation and monitoring and data exchange are analysed. The detailed description of observing sensors and system are presented as well as frameworks for cooperation,
• information on platforms (research vessels) available to the Project for testing developed sensors and systems. Platforms are available and operating in all three regions of interest to the project (Mediterranean, North Sea, Baltic),
• annexed detailed description of two world-wide observation networks and systems. These systems are excellent examples of added value offered by integrated systems of ocean observation (from data to knowledge) and how they work in practice.
Report concludes that it is seen a shortage of new classes of sensors to fulfil the emerging monitoring needs. Sensors proposed to be developed by COMMON SENSE project shall answer to the needs stemmed from introduction of MSFD and GES descriptors
WHOI Hawaii Ocean Timeseries Station (WHOTS): WHOTS-11 2014 mooring Turnaround Cruise Report
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Hawaii Ocean Timeseries Site (WHOTS),
100 km north of Oahu, Hawaii, is intended to provide long-term, high-quality air-sea fluxes as a
part of the NOAA Climate Observation Program. The WHOTS mooring also serves as a
coordinated part of the Hawaii Ocean Timeseries (HOT) program, contributing to the goals of
observing heat, fresh water and chemical fluxes at a site representative of the oligotrophic North
Pacific Ocean. The approach is to maintain a surface mooring outfitted for meteorological and
oceanographic measurements at a site near 22.75°N, 158°W by successive mooring turnarounds.
These observations will be used to investigate air–sea interaction processes related to climate
variability.
This report documents recovery of the tenth WHOTS mooring (WHOTS-10) and
deployment of the eleventh mooring (WHOTS-11). Both moorings used Surlyn foam buoys as
the surface element and were outfitted with two Air–Sea Interaction Meteorology (ASIMET)
systems. Each ASIMET system measures, records, and transmits via Argos satellite the surface
meteorological variables necessary to compute air–sea fluxes of heat, moisture and momentum.
The upper 155 m of the moorings were outfitted with oceanographic sensors for the
measurement of temperature, conductivity and velocity in a cooperative effort with R. Lukas of
the University of Hawaii. A pCO2 system and ancillary sensors were installed on the buoys in
cooperation with Chris Sabine at the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory. A set of
radiometers were installed in cooperation with Sam Laney at WHOI.
The WHOTS mooring turnaround was done on the NOAA ship Hi’ialakai by the Upper
Ocean Processes Group of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The cruise took place
between 15 and 23 July 2014. Operations began with deployment of the WHOTS-11 mooring on
16 July. This was followed by meteorological intercomparisons and CTDs. Recovery of the
WHOTS-10 mooring took place on 20 July. This report describes these cruise operations, as well
as some of the in-port operations and pre-cruise buoy preparations.Funding was provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under Grant No.
NA140AR4320158 and the Cooperative Institute for the North Atlantic Region (CINAR
Review and assessment of latent and sensible heat flux accuracy over the global oceans
For over a decade, several research groups have been developing air-sea heat flux information over the global ocean, including latent (LHF) and sensible (SHF) heat fluxes over the global ocean. This paper aims to provide new insight into the quality and error characteristics of turbulent heat flux estimates at various spatial and temporal scales (from daily upwards). The study is performed within the European Space Agency (ESA) Ocean Heat Flux (OHF) project. One of the main objectives of the OHF project is to meet the recommendations and requirements expressed by various international programs such as the World Research Climate Program (WCRP) and Climate and Ocean Variability, Predictability, and Change (CLIVAR), recognizing the need for better characterization of existing flux errors with respect to the input bulk variables (e.g. surface wind, air and sea surface temperatures, air and surface specific humidities), and to the atmospheric and oceanic conditions (e.g. wind conditions and sea state). The analysis is based on the use of daily averaged LHF and SHF and the asso- ciated bulk variables derived from major satellite-based and atmospheric reanalysis products. Inter-comparisons of heat flux products indicate that all of them exhibit similar space and time patterns. However, they also reveal significant differences in magnitude in some specific regions such as the western ocean boundaries during the Northern Hemisphere winter season, and the high southern latitudes. The differences tend to be closely related to large differences in surface wind speed and/or specific air humidity (for LHF) and to air and sea temperature differences (for SHF). Further quality investigations are performed through comprehensive comparisons with daily-averaged LHF and SHF estimated from moorings. The resulting statistics are used to assess the error of each OHF product. Consideration of error correlation between products and observations (e.g., by their assimilation) is also given. This reveals generally high noise variance in all products and a weak signal in common with in situ observations, with some products only slightly better than others. The OHF LHF and SHF products, and their associated error characteristics, are used to compute daily OHF multiproduct-ensemble (OHF/MPE) estimates of LHF and SHF over the ice-free global ocean on a 0.25° × 0.25° grid. The accuracy of this heat multiproduct, determined from comparisons with mooring data, is greater than for any individual product. It is used as a reference for the anomaly characterization of each individual OHF product
A comparison of buoy meteorological systems
During May and June 2000, an intercomparison was made of buoy meteorological
systems from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the National Oceanographic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL),
and the Japanese Marine Science and Technology Center (JAMSTEC). Two WHOI systems
mounted on a 3 m discus buoy, two PMEL systems mounted on separate buoy tower tops and
one JAMSTEC system mounted on a wooden platform were lined parallel to, and 25 m from
Nantucket Sound in Massachusetts. All systems used R. M. Young propeller anemometers,
Rotronic relative humidity and air temperature sensors and Eppley short-wave radiation sensors.
The PMEL and WHOI systems used R. M.Young self-siphoning rain gauges, while the
JAMSTEC system used a Scientific Technology ORG-115 optical rain gauge. The PMEL and
WHOI systems included an Eppley PIR long-wave sensor, while the JAMSTEC had no longwave
sensor. The WHOI system used an AIR DB-1A barometric pressure sensor. PMEL and
JAMSTEC systems used Paroscientific Digiquartz sensors. The Geophysical Instruments and
Measurements Group (GIM) from Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) installed two
Portable Radiation Package (PRP) systems that include Eppley short-wave and long-wave
sensors on a platform near the site.
It was apparent from the data that for most of the sensors, the correlation between data
sets was better than the absolute agreement between them. The conclusions made were that the
sensors and associated electronics from the three different laboratories performed comparably.Funding was provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
under Grant Number NA96GPO429
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