image
in print
Dr. John Marra
NASA (USA)
Ocean Theme Team Leader
The captain of a merchant vessel, in preparation for a voyage, checks a web-site for the latest ocean conditions to plan his most economic route. A researcher looks at the same data product, and uses the distribution of currents and eddies to help his understanding of the ocean's behaviour in terms of driving forces.
The availability of regular, global observations of the ocean for commercial
purposes, and for those who study its myriad phenomena, represents the
next large step in international oceanographic research: the creation of
a global ocean observing system. In early 1999, the IGOS Partnership requested
guidance in strategic planning for a global observing system. The 'Ocean
Theme' was defined as an initial effort, and a Team established to bring
a strategy to fruition, and also to guide others in creating strategies
for other elements of the Earth system.
ocean works. Operational oceanographers require the same observations
to create forecasts. The Ocean Theme Report brings together these complementary
efforts. The Report outlines the needs for satellite and in situ observations,
and focuses on some of the immediate
decisions required by satellite agencies needed to proceed to a fully
operational Ocean Observing System.
Over the past year or so, drafts of the Ocean Theme Report have been
created, presented and circulated for comment. The Ocean Theme Team presented
its first Report to the CEOS Plenary and IGOS Partnership meetings in Stockholm
in November, 1999. The IGOS Partners
provided additional guidance at that time. This year, presentations
were made at the CEOS SIT6 meeting in Cape Town, and a near-final version
of the Ocean Theme Report was presented to the CEOS SIT7and the IGOS Partnership
meetings in early June, in Geneva, where it
received preliminary endorsement. By the end of this year, the Ocean
Theme Report will be essentially complete.
The overall goal, as applied to the IGOS, is to create an observing
system for the oceans that serves both the research and operational oceanographic
communities. Researchers will always need continuous and long-term ocean
works. Operational oceanographers require the
same observations to create forecasts. The Ocean Theme Report brings
together these complementary efforts. The Report outlines the needs for
satellite and in situ observations, and focuses on some of the immediate
decisions required by satellite agencies needed to proceed
to a fully operational Ocean Observing System.
But that is just the beginning. The next steps are to establish a data
system, assure data quality, assimilate the observational data, and create
data products to serve the needs of forecasting. I remember reading in
an early oceanography textbook, a comparison with meteorology. If meteorologists
acted like oceanographers, the book said, they would drive around the countryside
in vintage automobiles and throw up a kite every once in a while.
The Ocean Theme Report testifies to the incredible progress we've made
over the last decade observing the ocean, and to the readiness for 'operational
oceanography.' In the coming years we will have an Ocean Observing System
providing high-quality global data in real time, while research thrives
in a data-rich environment.
EC-IGBP-GTOS Terrestrial Carbon Meeting took place in Costa da
Caparica, Portugal, 23-28 May, 2000. The primary objective
of the meeting was to develop an integrated, international approach
to studying the global terrestrial carbon cycle in the form of a science
plan and implementation strategy. Through plenary and breakout group
discussions, the meeting formulated a research agenda for
terrestrial carbon cycle in its full breadth, including linkages to
the human dimensions of the carbon cycle. The meeting also considered
the results of the Ottawa workshop, and refined these in the context
of the research issues. A report of this meeting will form a basis for
the future research agenda of IGBP and related international research
programs in relation to the terrestrial carbon cycle, and will also
ensure integration of observations in the research programs.
Report to the Strategic Implementation Team (SIT). At its 7th
meeting in Geneva (6-7 June, 2000) SIT considered progress in
the preparation of the carbon theme. SIT expressed satisfaction with
the rapid development and the plans for the theme team report. It also
highlighted that more attention needs to be given to the global carbon
cycle and the ocean carbon component.
Current status and plans. The theme team is currently preparing
a draft of the global carbon theme report. It is intended to circulate
the report widely in August for scientific and technical feedback;
to revise the report in September; and to submit it to IGOS-P in October
for the November 2000 meeting (IGOS-P5). At this time, it is not clear
whether the ocean component can be completed in this time
frame. However, the IGOS schedule provides for the possibility of a
further revision of the report by March 2001.