Global Drifter Program (GDP) Rick Lumpkin National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) Miami, Florida USA Drifter Measurements of Surface Velocity, SST and Atmospheric Pressure Data Buoy Cooperation Panel (DBCP) 20 th Session – October 2004 Chennai, India Data Buoy Cooperation Panel (DBCP) 20 th Session – October 2004 Chennai, India

GDP purpose GDP: the principal component of the Global Surface Drifting Buoy Array, a branch of NOAA’s Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) and Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) and a scientific project of the DBC. Objectives: Maintain a global 5ºx5º array of ARGOS-tracked Lagrangian surface drifting buoys to meet the need for an accurate and globally dense set of in-situ observations: mixed layer currents, SST, atmospheric pressure, winds, and salinity. Provide data processing system for scientific use of these data. These data support short-term (seasonal-to-interannual) climate predictions as well as climate research and monitoring. GDP: the principal component of the Global Surface Drifting Buoy Array, a branch of NOAA’s Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) and Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) and a scientific project of the DBC. Objectives: Maintain a global 5ºx5º array of ARGOS-tracked Lagrangian surface drifting buoys to meet the need for an accurate and globally dense set of in-situ observations: mixed layer currents, SST, atmospheric pressure, winds, and salinity. Provide data processing system for scientific use of these data. These data support short-term (seasonal-to-interannual) climate predictions as well as climate research and monitoring.

Manufacturers in private industry: build the drifters according to closely monitored specifications NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) : coordinates deployments, processes the data, archives data at AOML and at MEDS (Canada), maintains META files describing each drifter deployed, develops and distributes data-based products, updates the GDP website NOAA’s Joint Institute of Marine Observations ( JIMO ): supervises the industry, upgrades the technology, purchases the drifters, develops enhanced data sets, maintains liaison with individual research programs that deploy drifters Manufacturers in private industry: build the drifters according to closely monitored specifications NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) : coordinates deployments, processes the data, archives data at AOML and at MEDS (Canada), maintains META files describing each drifter deployed, develops and distributes data-based products, updates the GDP website NOAA’s Joint Institute of Marine Observations ( JIMO ): supervises the industry, upgrades the technology, purchases the drifters, develops enhanced data sets, maintains liaison with individual research programs that deploy drifters The GDP is managed with close cooperation between:

Global Array (present status)

Drifters deployed September 2003 – August 2004 Tropical Oceans (20°S – 20°N) Pacific: 169Atlantic: 100Indian: 18

Drifters deployed September 2003 – August 2004 Subtropical Southern Hemisphere (40°S – 20°S) 55 drifters deployed. Barometer upgrades:5 (Pacific), 6 (Atlantic)

Drifters deployed September 2003 – August 2004 Southern Ocean (south of 40°S) 92 drifters deployed. Barometer upgrades:74

2005: Goals and plans Deploy 900 Drifters in the period between October 2004 and September Up to 300 SVP buoys may be upgraded with barometers by NOAA/OGP. REACH GOAL: 1250 drifters, 5° x 5° resolution of the world’s oceans. (All plans subject to JTA negotiations) Details: Craig Engler’s talk Deploy 900 Drifters in the period between October 2004 and September Up to 300 SVP buoys may be upgraded with barometers by NOAA/OGP. REACH GOAL: 1250 drifters, 5° x 5° resolution of the world’s oceans. (All plans subject to JTA negotiations) Details: Craig Engler’s talk

Other 2004 GDP Activities Scientific achievements, Technical developments.

Synthesizing different observations Drifters: in-situ currents throughout the world (but not continuous) Altimetry: continuous estimates of geostrophic currents along satellite passes (but not direct measurements, and mean is contaminated by geoid errors) Winds: can be used to estimate the main ageostrophic current.  COMBINE INFORMATION!!! Drifters: in-situ currents throughout the world (but not continuous) Altimetry: continuous estimates of geostrophic currents along satellite passes (but not direct measurements, and mean is contaminated by geoid errors) Winds: can be used to estimate the main ageostrophic current.  COMBINE INFORMATION!!! Niiler, Maximenko and McWilliams, 2004 Absolute sea level,

Seasonal variations of the Tropical Atlantic Drifter observations: inhomogeneous in space and time. With seasonal changes, this can create biases when averaged in boxes. Lumpkin and Garzoli, 2005

Monthly current anomalies in the ENSO region September 2004

Development of the “mini” drifter Redesigned at JIMO 40% smaller components Transmitter: 14V  4V Newer design techniques SAME DRAG AREA RATIO Cost of a drifter (approx): 2002: $ : $ : $1700 Cost of a drifter (approx): 2002: $ : $ : $1700

Measuring sea surface salinity with drifters SVP surface float Microcat mounting assembly GDP/SIO development Additional development at WHOI (NOPP/NASA funding). The GDP will facilitate the WHOI efforts by making SVP platforms available for testing and deployments. This is easily accomplished via Clearwater Instruments, Inc., who builds drifters for the GDP and who is an industrial partner in this WHOI/NOPP project. GDP/SIO development Additional development at WHOI (NOPP/NASA funding). The GDP will facilitate the WHOI efforts by making SVP platforms available for testing and deployments. This is easily accomplished via Clearwater Instruments, Inc., who builds drifters for the GDP and who is an industrial partner in this WHOI/NOPP project.

SVP surface floats with Microcats installed

Deployments and recoveries of SVP-Microcats : 30 SVP-Microcats deployed - Microcat attached to surface float - launched in East China Sea - two recovered: post calibration shows no detectable shifts (<1 month)

plans GDP/SIO funded to build 5 pairs of SVP-Microcats. - Pairs: one with, one without pumping. Pairs will be launched from French Met office ships. - Location: west of France (e.g. Bay of Biscay). - Requested: sequential recoveries over next 12 months for post-calibration.

Observations of hurricanes

Thanks Meteo-France South African Weather Service New Zealand Met Service Australian Bureau of Meteorology Fisheries Research Institute (INIDEP) and Servicio de Hidrografía Naval, Argentina Instituto Canario de Ciencias Marinas (ICCM), Canary Islands National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) and National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), India Scripps Institution of Oceanography CICESE, Mexico Voluntary Observing Ships (VOS) International Ice Patrol (IIP) Meteo-France South African Weather Service New Zealand Met Service Australian Bureau of Meteorology Fisheries Research Institute (INIDEP) and Servicio de Hidrografía Naval, Argentina Instituto Canario de Ciencias Marinas (ICCM), Canary Islands National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) and National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), India Scripps Institution of Oceanography CICESE, Mexico Voluntary Observing Ships (VOS) International Ice Patrol (IIP) United States Air Force Oregon State University US Naval Oceanographic Office United States Coast Guard INMET and Centro de Hydrografia de Marinha, Brasil United Kingdom Met Office Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Raytheon Polar Services University of Cape Town Environment Canada And others … United States Air Force Oregon State University US Naval Oceanographic Office United States Coast Guard INMET and Centro de Hydrografia de Marinha, Brasil United Kingdom Met Office Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Raytheon Polar Services University of Cape Town Environment Canada And others … Our appreciation to the following Operational Partners for their contributions to GDP activities

Rick Lumpkin National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) Miami, Florida USA