Chapter 7
IN-SITU OBSERVATIONS:
PLATFORMS AND TECHNIQUES
Uwe Send
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego, California, USA
Abstract:
In-situ observations and satellite remote sensing together need to be viewed as
an integrated system to provide observational data required by operational
ocean modelling and forecasting. This chapter outlines the methods and
platforms available to operational oceanography and how they complement
remote sensing and each other.
Keywords: In-situ data, platforms, instruments, observing methods.
1. Observing needs of operational oceanography
The goal of operational oceanography is to provide routine ocean
forecasts on timescales of days to seasonal, to detect and predict short-term
changes in the ocean (turbulence and “ocean weather”) all the way to regime
shifts and climatic changes, including the associated impacts on coupled
ocean-atmosphere and coupled biogeochemical systems.
Such routine modelling and forecasting requires sustained observations
for initializations and validation/ground truthing, for keeping the models on
the correct trajectory, and in the development phase also for model testing
and calibration. This chapter addresses the options and considerations for
choosing platforms and techniques to provide these data. The focus will be
on complementarity between the different in-situ methods, and between insitu and satellite observations. Not covered here is the important issue (for
operational systems) of sustained routine observing system operation, of
quality control and data dissemination. This is addressed in the companion
chapter by S. Pouliquen (this volume).
Some differences need to be recognized between the data requirements of
global, regional, and coastal applications, in terms of resolution, accuracy,
and variables needed. Global systems do not require accurate representation
of individual small-scale features but need to have the correct “bulk”
191
E. P. Chassignet and J. Verron (eds.), Ocean Weather Forecasting, 191-206.
© 2006 Springer. Printed in the Netherlands.
IN-SITU OBSERVATIONS:
PLATFORMS AND TECHNIQUES
Uwe Send
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego, California, USA
Abstract:
In-situ observations and satellite remote sensing together need to be viewed as
an integrated system to provide observational data required by operational
ocean modelling and forecasting. This chapter outlines the methods and
platforms available to operational oceanography and how they complement
remote sensing and each other.
Keywords: In-situ data, platforms, instruments, observing methods.
1. Observing needs of operational oceanography
The goal of operational oceanography is to provide routine ocean
forecasts on timescales of days to seasonal, to detect and predict short-term
changes in the ocean (turbulence and “ocean weather”) all the way to regime
shifts and climatic changes, including the associated impacts on coupled
ocean-atmosphere and coupled biogeochemical systems.
Such routine modelling and forecasting requires sustained observations
for initializations and validation/ground truthing, for keeping the models on
the correct trajectory, and in the development phase also for model testing
and calibration. This chapter addresses the options and considerations for
choosing platforms and techniques to provide these data. The focus will be
on complementarity between the different in-situ methods, and between insitu and satellite observations. Not covered here is the important issue (for
operational systems) of sustained routine observing system operation, of
quality control and data dissemination. This is addressed in the companion
chapter by S. Pouliquen (this volume).
Some differences need to be recognized between the data requirements of
global, regional, and coastal applications, in terms of resolution, accuracy,
and variables needed. Global systems do not require accurate representation
of individual small-scale features but need to have the correct “bulk”
191
E. P. Chassignet and J. Verron (eds.), Ocean Weather Forecasting, 191-206.
© 2006 Springer. Printed in the Netherlands.