Explaining the extraordinary: operational oceanography in Australia David Griffin Madeleine Cahill, Jim Mansbridge
“Yesterday’s news is today’s fish-and- chips wrapper” When something extraordinary happens, the number of people interested drops rapidly every day. In this talk, we’ll discuss how we’ve been satisfying the public demand for ocean information, using data sometimes a week old. Following talks pickup the thread of ocean forecasting The infant status of operational oceanography is demonstrated by how we dealt with the following cases
20 deg in winter? Global warming?
Zoom out a bit: WC unusual in Sept
Just a localised anomaly, really. If not global warming, then what?
#2: 15 deg in summer? Please explain
No, its not cold currents from the south
Its just cold water from 300m
Coming up onto the shelf, and the beach
But why? Watch this cyclone develop:
14 Feb
15 Feb
16 Feb
17 Feb
18 Feb
19 Feb
20 Feb
21 Feb
22 Feb
23 Feb
23 Feb zoom in. Cold at Newcastle!
Pan south Argo pr1
Argo pr2
Argo profile 1:
Argo profile 2
Also in February, two very strong (strongest since 1995?) upwellings occurred of SA-Vic. Explanation relatively simple, and Prediction of a third event proved correct
Adelaide Advertiser:
This has been running for 3yr now. Interest is growing, but: quality is decreasing, not increasing T/P: finished Oct 2005 Envisat: USO problem Feb-Jul 2006 GFO: batteries failing Aug present Jason: 18d gap in Nov No more NRTSSHA
How many altimeters does it take to adequately initialise a forecast?
Thank you