Evolving the physical global ocean observing system for research and application services through international coordination

• Published in: Frontiers in Marine Science
• Main Authors: Sloyan, Bernadette M., Wilkin, John L., Hill, Katherine Louise, Chidichimo, Maria Paz, Cronin, Meghan F., Johannessen, Johnny A., Karstensen, Johannes, Krug, Marjolaine, Lee, Tong, Oka, Eitarou, Palmer, Matthew D., Rabe, Benjamin, Speich, Sabrina, von Schuckmann, Karina, Weller, Robert A., Yu, Weidong
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Frontiers Media 2019
• Subjects: Observing system evaluation; Observing system design; Sustained observations; Observing networks; Observation platforms; Climate; Weather; Operational services; Johannessen; Krug; Weller; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/1912/24568

© The Author(s), 2019. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Sloyan, B. M., Wilkin, J., Hill, K. L., Chidichimo, M. P., Cronin, M. F., Johannessen, J. A., Karstensen, J., Krug, M., Lee, T., Oka, E., Palmer, M. D., Rabe, B., Speich, S., von Schuckmann, K., Weller, R. A., & Yu, W. Evolving the physical global ocean observing system for research and application services through international coordination. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6, (2019): 449, doi:10.3389/fmars.2019.00449. Climate change and variability are major societal challenges, and the ocean is an integral part of this complex and variable system. Key to the understanding of the ocean’s role in the Earth’s climate system is the study of ocean and sea-ice physical processes, including its interactions with the atmosphere, cryosphere, land, and biosphere. These processes include those linked to ocean circulation; the storage and redistribution of heat, carbon, salt and other water properties; and air-sea exchanges of heat, momentum, freshwater, carbon, and other gasses. Measurements of ocean physics variables are fundamental to reliable earth prediction systems for a range of applications and users. In addition, knowledge of the physical environment is fundamental to growing understanding of the ocean’s biogeochemistry and biological/ecosystem variability and function. Through the progress from OceanObs’99 to OceanObs’09, the ocean observing system has evolved from a platform centric perspective to an integrated observing system. The challenge now is for the observing system to evolve to respond to an increasingly diverse end user group. The Ocean Observations Physics and Climate panel (OOPC), formed in 1995, has undertaken many activities that led to observing system-related agreements. Here, OOPC will explore the opportunities and challenges for the development of a fit-for-purpose, sustained and prioritized ocean observing system, focusing on physical ...