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Dr. Eric Lindstrom
IGOS Ocean Theme Team Leader, NASA Headquarters
The observing elements and the technology enabling global oceanography
and improved global modeling and data assimilation
activities - legacies of the 1990's - have made improved ocean products
and analysis possible. A challenge has remained to continue a core of global
ocean observations for the long term. The Global Ocean Observing
System (GOOS) is the international process by which an operational oceanographic
observing system is designed and coordinated. GOOS operates within
a broader framework of international agencies and conventions, observing
systems, and research programs. A common difficulty in this framework is
gaining commitment of resources for specific observing systems given the
many overlapping requirements of programs and capabilities of agencies
and nations.
The Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS) unites the major satellite
and surface-based systems for global environmental observations of the
atmosphere, oceans, and land. It is a strategic planning process and
a framework for decisions and resource allocation by individual funding
agencies. The IGOS Partnership was established in June 1998 as a natural
convergence of the efforts of a number of international agencies concerned
with global environmental issues, research, and provision of Earth observations.
The Partnership comprises the program offices of the three Global Observing
Systems (GOOS, GCOS, GTOS), the international agencies which sponsor the
Global Observing Systems (FAO, ICSU, IOC, UNEP, UNESCO, WMO), the Committee
on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), and agencies involved in implementing
and encouraging research programs on global change (IGBP, WCRP, IGFA).
More detail on IGOS is available at the IGOS Partners web site (http://www.igospartners.org).
The IGOS Partnership has endorsed a new approach for IGOS implementation
which utilizes thematic areas. With a view toward broadening IGOS to include
the observing activities of all Partners, the themes concept was developed
to provide a more coherent focus for the definition and implementation
of IGOS.
The fundamental underpinning of the theme approach is the acceptance
that IGOS must establish priorities within broad theme areas; that the
priorities must take account not only of the requirements of international
programs but also those of national and regional programs and must be sensitive
to major issues connected with international conventions; that IGOS must
seek to exploit what already exists and seek to improve it incrementally.
The oceans theme was identified as a pathfinder to demonstrate the concept
and was recommended to move immediately into the implementation phase.
NASA agreed to chair an "Ocean Theme Team," which includes representatives
from GOOS, CNES, ESA, ISRO, NASDA and NOAA. The Ocean Theme
Team has drafted an interim report, which was presented to the IGOS
Partnership meeting in November 1999. The report is based on examination
of requirements and capabilities for ocean observation in light of
specific needs such as seasonal-to-interannual climate prediction, improved
marine
weather prediction, and improved scientific understanding of marine
ecosystems. The focus is on identification of gaps and overlaps in the
observing
system where action and commitment of resources by the IGOS Partners
would lead to an improved or more effective system. The recommendations
of the
theme team include some specific requests for immediate action by the
IGOS Partners and some ideas for action over the medium and long term to
facilitate development of an integrated ocean observing system.
The Ocean Theme Team report is a call for concerted action. It underscores
the GOOS vision of developing and maintaining global ocean observing
tools for a permanent global ocean observing system. It also provides
an opportunity to build on the work of two of the demonstration projects
of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites Strategic Implementation
Team (CEOS SIT). It folds together the IGOS-related portions of the Global
Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE) and the Ocean Biology Projects,
bringing together disparate pieces, thereby demonstrating the utility of
IGOS for oceans. It attempts to consolidate recent scientific gains in
in-situ observing, remote sensing, ocean model development and data assimilation
into an ongoing, robust ocean observing system. Most significantly, the
report provides first recommendations to the IGOS Partnership for allocation
of resources--critical areas for action to assist in developing the capability
for global operational oceanography. The initial focus of the Theme Team
has been on gaining commitment to the integrated in situ/space-based observations
required
(to be continued on page 5.)