4
Nicholas C. Flemming
Oceanography is folIowing rapidly along the course taken decades ago by meteorology, but we still require a great deal of strategic planning on timescales of 5 to
10 years, with a steadfast consistency of purpose, to reap the full potential benefits.
1.3 Origins of GOOS
The realisation that a civilian Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) was a
feasible proposition grew steadily during the preparatory work for the Second
World Climate Conference in October 1990, (Houghton et al., 1990; Jaeger and
Ferguson, 1991), and the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UN,
1992). The threat of global climate change and possible sea level rise provided a
unifying theme and objective which was recognised by alI nations. Previous discussions about an operational observing scheme for the ocean had concentrated on
the benefits for fisheries, engineering, offshore oiI exploration, shipping, and
coastal environmental management, and different countries have justifiably different views and priorities on these matters. There had seemed to be no way to tie alI
the different interests together in order to obtain coherent action for the common
good. Additionally, prior to the 1990s, any observing scheme faced the apparent1y
insoluble problems of high cost, inadequate instrumentation, insufficient scientific
understanding of ocean processes, and insufficient computing power to handle the
data or make forecasts.
Numerous workshops and study groups met during 1989-1992 to investigate the
potential reality of GOOS. It became clear that the problems were solvable, at least
in principle. Computing power has increased so rapidly in the 1980s and 1990s
that this is not now a serious limitation, and the situation continues to improve. For
the most advanced high resolution ocean models scientists are now considering the
benefits of using petaflops computers. Experience of ocean modelling, climate
modelling, and modelling of coastal seas and processes has resulted in a wide range
of suitable programmes which can be applied, with further development, to GOOS.
Thanks to the innovation of new principles in sensors, and the use of microprocessors embedded in instrument packages, in situ instruments are now enormously
more powerful, can measure a far wider range of variables, and are much more
durable and reliable than previously. It is possible to consider the development of
operational instrumentation which can be used by relatively untrained personnel,
based on existing proven instruments designed for scientific research. Many in situ
instruments will have to be left to drift, or operate on fixed moorings untended for
months or years at a stretch, with data being retumed by satellite link. This principle is exhibited in the ARGO project (ARGO, 1998), www.argo.ucsd.edu. The
experience gained from ocean observing satellites (SEASAT, GEOSAT, TOPEXPoseidon, ERS-l and 2, MOS, SEAWIFS) has established procedures and products
so that it is now possible to consider a planned succession of customised operational satellites to monitor the ocean on a permanent basis.
Nicholas C. Flemming
Oceanography is folIowing rapidly along the course taken decades ago by meteorology, but we still require a great deal of strategic planning on timescales of 5 to
10 years, with a steadfast consistency of purpose, to reap the full potential benefits.
1.3 Origins of GOOS
The realisation that a civilian Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) was a
feasible proposition grew steadily during the preparatory work for the Second
World Climate Conference in October 1990, (Houghton et al., 1990; Jaeger and
Ferguson, 1991), and the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UN,
1992). The threat of global climate change and possible sea level rise provided a
unifying theme and objective which was recognised by alI nations. Previous discussions about an operational observing scheme for the ocean had concentrated on
the benefits for fisheries, engineering, offshore oiI exploration, shipping, and
coastal environmental management, and different countries have justifiably different views and priorities on these matters. There had seemed to be no way to tie alI
the different interests together in order to obtain coherent action for the common
good. Additionally, prior to the 1990s, any observing scheme faced the apparent1y
insoluble problems of high cost, inadequate instrumentation, insufficient scientific
understanding of ocean processes, and insufficient computing power to handle the
data or make forecasts.
Numerous workshops and study groups met during 1989-1992 to investigate the
potential reality of GOOS. It became clear that the problems were solvable, at least
in principle. Computing power has increased so rapidly in the 1980s and 1990s
that this is not now a serious limitation, and the situation continues to improve. For
the most advanced high resolution ocean models scientists are now considering the
benefits of using petaflops computers. Experience of ocean modelling, climate
modelling, and modelling of coastal seas and processes has resulted in a wide range
of suitable programmes which can be applied, with further development, to GOOS.
Thanks to the innovation of new principles in sensors, and the use of microprocessors embedded in instrument packages, in situ instruments are now enormously
more powerful, can measure a far wider range of variables, and are much more
durable and reliable than previously. It is possible to consider the development of
operational instrumentation which can be used by relatively untrained personnel,
based on existing proven instruments designed for scientific research. Many in situ
instruments will have to be left to drift, or operate on fixed moorings untended for
months or years at a stretch, with data being retumed by satellite link. This principle is exhibited in the ARGO project (ARGO, 1998), www.argo.ucsd.edu. The
experience gained from ocean observing satellites (SEASAT, GEOSAT, TOPEXPoseidon, ERS-l and 2, MOS, SEAWIFS) has established procedures and products
so that it is now possible to consider a planned succession of customised operational satellites to monitor the ocean on a permanent basis.