430
ANDREAS SCHILLER AND NEVILLE SMITH
Figure 1. Schematic of major currents in the Asian-Australian region. The background image
is © Copyright 1996 The Living Earth, Inc./Earth Imaging by permission of the publisher.
3.1
Analysis system
Modern weather prediction relies on access to accurate observations of
the atmosphere. BLUElink will depend upon access to a range of surface and
sub-surface observations of the ocean. To be useful, the data must be
communicated and managed in a way that maximizes its contribution to the
forecasts. The information required includes surface winds and temperature,
sea level, ocean currents, and sub-surface temperature and salinity. Primary
data types and sources are:
x Historical information obtained since about 1900, but mostly from
recent decades (T, S);
x Argo profiling floats (T, S);
x Expendable bathythermographs (XBTs) deployed from “Ships of
Opportunity” (T);
x Surface weather and ocean observations from voluntary observing
ships (T, S, u);
x Surface drifting instruments (u);
x Coastal sea level from tide gauges (K);