Towards a Mediterranean GEWEX
369
This oceanographic system combined with the network of land stations and
basin-wide satellite observations would be an important European contribution ti the
Global Climate Observation System (GCOS).
7 Conclusions
There have been and exists a large number of activities in the Mediterranean basin
which could, if properly combined, provide an exemplary core of a monitoring and
research area for a climatic as well as with respect to anthropogenic disturbances
sensiti ve region and a contribution to GCOS. Additional fields of research would be
attached as the requirements for specific expertises increases. Different approaches
to reach this goal could be thought of. The most simple but probably not very
effective way would be organize periodically meetings at which all involved
scientists and organizations report their results and by this communication constitute
a network for research and applications (dissemination of research results) in the
Mediterranean area. A central unit would have to integrate and to disseminate the
combined knowledge by periodic reports as is the usage of IPCe. A second way
would be that a few large institutions take the lead. There exist a number of well
equipped research institutions throughout the Mediterranean specialized on different
topics which could form jointly with some involved extra-Mediterranean research
institutes a network of centres of excellence aiming at an exchange and integration
of data as well as modelling the Mediterranean sub-system. Alternatively a new
multinational Mediterranean Research Institute could be established into which this
information is flowing and amalgamated and where information for the user
communities is extracted and disseminated. On the other hand nothing has a more
integrative power than a joint field experiment. In other regions of the world where
comparable problems in understanding the system exist, GEWEX experiments have
been carried out to improve not only the knowledge about the system but also to
intensify the inter-disciplinary communication. Much relevant experience have been
gained in Europe with BALTEX that could be transferred to the Mediterranean.
Such an experiment would need the contribution of national operational services and
a free exchange of data.
Anchor stations would become the backbone and basis of a large scale
experiment which would be guided and accompanied by the evaluation of existing
data. It has been demonstrated that observations from space and ground based
remote sensing equipment would be the tools to bridge over the areas between
experimental sites. Presently the Italian - Tunisian initiative is starting to build a
transect between Tunisia and the South of France to study environmental changes
with satellite data. Equally interesting would be a West - East transect including
islands to study the Mediterranean Oscillation, the synergies between the western
and eastern part of the basin respectively changes that occur in the western countries
as compared to the situation in the Near East which may be related to the anticyclic
variability manifested in the Mediterranean Oscillation. Last not least the scale has
369
This oceanographic system combined with the network of land stations and
basin-wide satellite observations would be an important European contribution ti the
Global Climate Observation System (GCOS).
7 Conclusions
There have been and exists a large number of activities in the Mediterranean basin
which could, if properly combined, provide an exemplary core of a monitoring and
research area for a climatic as well as with respect to anthropogenic disturbances
sensiti ve region and a contribution to GCOS. Additional fields of research would be
attached as the requirements for specific expertises increases. Different approaches
to reach this goal could be thought of. The most simple but probably not very
effective way would be organize periodically meetings at which all involved
scientists and organizations report their results and by this communication constitute
a network for research and applications (dissemination of research results) in the
Mediterranean area. A central unit would have to integrate and to disseminate the
combined knowledge by periodic reports as is the usage of IPCe. A second way
would be that a few large institutions take the lead. There exist a number of well
equipped research institutions throughout the Mediterranean specialized on different
topics which could form jointly with some involved extra-Mediterranean research
institutes a network of centres of excellence aiming at an exchange and integration
of data as well as modelling the Mediterranean sub-system. Alternatively a new
multinational Mediterranean Research Institute could be established into which this
information is flowing and amalgamated and where information for the user
communities is extracted and disseminated. On the other hand nothing has a more
integrative power than a joint field experiment. In other regions of the world where
comparable problems in understanding the system exist, GEWEX experiments have
been carried out to improve not only the knowledge about the system but also to
intensify the inter-disciplinary communication. Much relevant experience have been
gained in Europe with BALTEX that could be transferred to the Mediterranean.
Such an experiment would need the contribution of national operational services and
a free exchange of data.
Anchor stations would become the backbone and basis of a large scale
experiment which would be guided and accompanied by the evaluation of existing
data. It has been demonstrated that observations from space and ground based
remote sensing equipment would be the tools to bridge over the areas between
experimental sites. Presently the Italian - Tunisian initiative is starting to build a
transect between Tunisia and the South of France to study environmental changes
with satellite data. Equally interesting would be a West - East transect including
islands to study the Mediterranean Oscillation, the synergies between the western
and eastern part of the basin respectively changes that occur in the western countries
as compared to the situation in the Near East which may be related to the anticyclic
variability manifested in the Mediterranean Oscillation. Last not least the scale has