Oceanographic Timeseries: a global array and the ANIMATE example Uwe Send, IfM Kiel ESONET meeting, April 2003

Some of our most important knowledge about the functioning of the oceans comes from long timeseries of data Salinity at BRAVO in Labrador Sea (J.Lazier 1980) Zooplankton and NAO in subpolar N.Atlantic (courtesy C.Reid)

Some of our most important knowledge about the functioning of the oceans comes from long timeseries of data TAO temperatures in eastern Pacific (courtesy M.McPhaden) Mixed-layer carbon parameters at HOT (Keeling et al.)

Norwegian Sea 2000m temperatures Gulf Stream transport and NAO indices from decadal timeseries at Bermuda and OWS BRAVO (Labrador Sea):

Need to assure continuation and extension of global timeseries observations to address the needs of research, climate change detection, operational applications, and policy makers. Science applications (monitor, detect, understand and 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: input data for 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

baroclinic transport south of Australia from XBT and CTD (courtesy S.Rintoul) With this scope, timeseries observations complement naturally the other elements of the global observing system (satellites, floats, VOS, sealevel, coastal buoynetworks), filling a gap that no other system can provide. GOAL: Build a global network of multidisciplinary timeseries sites Use autonomous moored sensors where possible advanced quantities still require ship-board sampling resolve variability of interest, avoid aliasing same transport estimated from altimetry

Observations of air-sea heatflux, precipitation/evaporation, wind stress (high-accuracy reference sites) : This figure shows the heat loss maximum over the Gulf Stream, a region for which meteorological models cannot well reproduce the surface heat flux. Flux reference moorings would be extremely valuable here.

Example: Water mass formation (deep convection) variability in the Labrador Sea (long-term moorings of IfM Kiel) Time-depth plot of temperature in central Labrador Sea over 7 years

Observing the linkages between physical/climatic and biogeochemical conditions and variability Example from the Arabian Sea: Monsoon winds, chlorophyll, heating rate at 10m modulated by biology and mixed-layer depth (white line). Effects of monsoons and eddies visible. (from T.Dickey)

Observing the relationship between upper-layer ecosystem productivity and downward carbon export Example of downward organic carbon flux in Porcupine Abyssal Plain (from R.Lampitt)

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

A number of the sites relate to elements of the global thermohaline circulation system :

Example: transport sites for the thermohaline circulation

Example: CLIVAR deep thermohaline transport array (IfM Kiel): Location of section off lesser Antilles Instrumentation on section : density and bottom pressure sensors for geostrophic transports, tomography for heat content

Flow through critical straits, passages, and choke points As an example, the Indonesian passages provide the crucial exchange between Pacific and Indian Ocean and need to be monitored. Other sites: Gibraltar, Drake Passage, subpolar N.Atlantic (separate slide)

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

Example: Coordinated ecosystem changes (Chavez et al)

Surface chlorophyll from CZCS Vertical distribution of Chl from 21,000 profiles Mixed layer depth from NOAA-NODC archive Surface nutrients Brunt-Vaisala 57 provinces on the basis of: Longhurst 1995

A global ocean timeseries observatory system is now under development A 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 Science Team provides guidance, coordination, outreach, and oversight for the implementation, data management and capacity building A pilot system ( ) 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.

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

develop a common data format for multidisciplinary timeseries data (2003) establish global data centers (1-2 US, 1 Europe, 1 Japan) (2004) start by merging data from TAO/TRITON/PIRATA, Bermuda, Hawaii, MBARI, ANIMATE, HiLats define quality control standards work with programs/P.I.´s to gradually include real-time and delayed-mode data from all sites Common data access:

Initial map of the pilot timeseries observatory system

Mooring status and plan for Indian Ocean (Masumoto et al)

(next week) Contacts:

Example: EU project ANIMATE Objectives: - Implement a European timeseries infrastructure - Establish three multi-disciplinary open-ocean observatory sites - Contribute to a N.Atlantic carbon observing system - Physical,CO2, nitrate, fluorescence sensors, sediment traps, telemetry Partners from Kiel, Bremen, Southampton, Canary Islands, Iceland Start: 1 Dec 2001 An envisioned N.Atlantic carbon observingsystem Coordination: IfM Kiel, total funding 2.5MEuro

Typical telemetry mooring design in ANIMATE

6 months of real-time microcat data from the Irminger Sea

Suggestions for ESONET: keep in mind the open-ocean/global-relevance scientific applications look for the right mix of coastal, regional and open-ocean stations to address a maximum of scientific issues try to contribute to a global network examples for European waters: - cover oceanographic provinces - water mass formation regions: Norwegian/Greenland Sea (station MIKE), Gulf of Lions, Levantine Basin - Denmark Strait, Strait of Gibraltar, etc - passages and straits in shelf seas (e.g. Baltic)