The Southern Ocean Observing System

Transcription

1 The Southern Ocean Observing System Current Priorities, Towards the 20-Year Vision Louise Newman (Executive Officer, Mike Meredith and Oscar Schofield (Co-Chairs) SOOS Scientific Steering Committee Members Defining the 20-Year Vision SOOS Pilot Studies SOOS Science Themes and Workplans SOOS Priority Observation Gaps SOOS Priority Products SOOS Priority Data 1

2 2 nd Scientific Steering Committee Meeting The SOOS 20 year vision Available online at The vision for a Southern Ocean Observing System Michael P Meredith 1, Oscar Schofield 2, Louise Newman 3, Ed Urban 4 and Michael Sparrow 5 Pre-print also available from SOOS product database Clarification of vision has enabled ID of steps required to achieve vision: What are the advances in technology required? What activities need to be coordinated? What needs to be initiated now, in 2 years, or in 10? What is the infrastructure and required funding? 2

3 Advances required in: - Cyberinfrastructure - Modelling - Observation technologies Mixture of autonomous and non-autonomous platforms, combined with remote sensing. Data relayed in real time Assimilating models produce state estimates of parameters Model error fields used to re-task autonomous platforms The above vision is many years away but we need to be strategic in working towards it. It needs to be a fully international system with separate nations contributing hard assets to work under common control. So this needs to be COMNAP/SOOS carefully structured Workshop, so Korea that 7 each July 2013 nation gains tangible benefits from its involvement. Intermediate step A SOOS Pilot Study Test-run for the final SOOS Study would platforms performance Options feature - Develop cyberinfrastructure - Develop automated control of ocean - Test autonomous sensors and model - A Flagship project Menu of potential SOOS Pilot - An enhanced Regional Study Studies => - Regional Study characterised by unique ready-made research proposals 3

4 Flagship Project Characteristics: - Focussed on a chronically under-sampled region - Little or no existing infrastructure - Extensive international coordination of logistics required Benefits: So little is known about the region, any level of observation enhancement will significantly increase our understanding Flagship Project example Amundsen Sea 3 rd largest ice drainage basin of WAIS Area of high primary production in polynyas Significant glacial retreat and melt input, and decrease in sea ice extent. Region may be a weak link in stability of WAIS. No Antarctic bases nearby, no regular ship transects therefore logistically demanding Researchers from a number of nations now looking to enhance observations in this critical area will need significant logistical and operational support 4

5 Enhanced Regional Study Characteristics: - Focussed on a region with significant history of observations - Existing infrastructure - Potential for many nations to be involved due to proximity to infrastructure Benefits: - Logistically easy - High potential to push the envelope with regard to technology and integration of systems (modelling, data etc) - Will provide a true test-case for SOOS vision Enhanced Regional Study example Antarctic Peninsula 5

6 Regionally Constrained Study Characteristics: - Region of study is constrained by a unique physical feature - Important biological/physical/chemical reasons behind chosen area of study - Logistic and infrastructure requirements vary depending on study region Benefits: - Project is developed around a scientific need, rather than a logistical one Regionally Constrained Study example Kerguelen Plateau Ecosystem Study Iron fertilisation from Plateau driving observed variability in productivity Transects designed to sample upstream, on and downstream of the Kerguelen Plateau Current project plans are ecosystem based, but huge potential for international collaboration for a totalsystem study Mean Chlorophyll a 6

7 Science Themes and Workplans Science Themes and Workplans Key science to be addressed by the SOOS: 1) Role of Southern Ocean in global freshwater and heat balance 2) Stability of Southern Ocean overturning circulation 3) Stability of Antarctic ice sheet and future contribution to sea-level rise 4) Future of Southern Ocean carbon uptake 5) Future of Antarctic sea ice 6) Impacts of global change on Antarctic ecosystems P. Holland 1) Data Management 7

8 Towards Integration and the Vision Themes 1 and 2 (circulation, heat, freshwater): CLIVAR-SOP, SO-Argo, DIMES, etc Theme 3 (Ice Sheet): FRISP, IceBridge, ISMASS, etc Theme 4 (Carbon): IOCCP, SOBOM, OAICC, etc Theme 5 (Sea Ice): ASPeCT, IPAB, SOBP, etc Theme 6 (Biology): ICED, SCAR-AntERA, SCAR-AntEco, SO-CPR, GOOS Biology WG, etc SOOS Thematic Workplans What are the key variables that must be observed to address the key questions of your Science Theme? Or, What actions are required to identify these, and how can SOOS help? What is the Readiness level of each variable for being part of an observing system (e.g., required technology, cost effective) Can you quantify the spatial-temporal sampling regime required, and if not, what needs to be done to get to this point? What are your requirements for satellite data, and are these being addressed? What are the key repositories for your data, and are there any issues that need addressing? 8

9 SOOS Priority Activities Workshop on Air/Sea Fluxes (incl. sea-ice zone) Build relationship with Data Assimilation community Workshop on impact of changes in circulation on Carbon Identification of ecosystem EOVs Strategic Science in Antarctica, Hobart 24 June Priority Gaps in Observations - Antarctic Stations - Vessels - Remote deployments 9

10 SOOS Priority Gaps Increased observations offshore from all Antarctic bases and on the continental margin Time-series measurements of T, S, O 2 and carbon parameters Land-fast sea-ice thickness and snow depth time series; Meteorology/air-ice fluxes, fast-ice maximum extent, freeze-up and breakout dates Standardised sampling of marine biota Seal Tagging Under-ice measurements (e.g., T, S, ph, O 2 ), particularly from continental shelf regions, under and near ice shelves and polynyas, including measurements of basal melt Bathymetry under and near ice shelves SOOS Priority Gaps Increased measurements from all Southern Ocean ships Key biogeochemical tracers including continuous measurements of T, S, and pco 2. Additional tracers where possible for and if possible nutrients, TCO 2, alkalinity, Chlorophyll-a, Argon/O 2, bioptics (using calibrated equipment) Continuous Plankton Recorder, acoustics, predator tracking/diets Sea-ice observations (from both ship and field data) (thickness, snow depth, floe size, ridging etc) Sea-ice extent (ice edge) and concentration measurements Deep ocean (>2000 m) T, S and O 2 measurements 10

11 SOOS Priority Gaps Instrumented remote deployments and under sea moorings and arrays Sustained time-series measurements using evolving sensor technologies on moorings and profiling floats for the determination of air-sea fluxes and biogeochemical cycling Sea-ice drift measurements (e.g., from meteorology, buoy arrays etc) SSC identified a number of key products that are imperative SOOS moving forward 11

12 1) List of Current Observations and Measurements taken from all Ships and Antarctic Bases Impossible to define observational gaps when we don t know what is currently being done Country Station/Ship Name Australia Davis Details Casey Details Name Observations Mawson MethodDetails Location Regularity Contact Davis Sea ice R.V. Aurora thickness AustralisSea ice Details coring S, Monthly Louise R.V. Investigator Details E Newman Snow depth Coring S, Monthly Louise E Newman Surface water Temperature S, E Weekly Louise Newman 2) Document of standard methodologies and protocols Very important to address issues of data quality and comparability Includes requirements for metadata Important that this document is developed with the research community to ensure acceptance of protocols Many communities already have standard protocols developed, SOOS will not duplicate efforts but compile into easily accessible information on the website It is important that National Antarctic Programmes recognise the standards and provide feedback to their researchers 12

13 3) List of priority basic measurements that could be taken regularly from all stations and ships, including a list of modular/containerised equipment 4) Metadatabase of current and future shipping plans COMNAP has already developed this for COMNAP purposes, but not yet used for coordination of science Benefits - HUGE potential increase in international collaboration - Coordination of projects - Sharing of resources and equipment - Awareness of observations and data being collected 13

14 Access to Meteorological and Satellite Data Access to Meteorological and Satellite Data 14

15 Access to Observational Data of National Antarctic Programmes Key objective and deliverable of SOOS is the provision of data and data products. Significant advances in knowledge could be gained simply through sharing of the data that already exists SOOS has developed a Data Management Sub-Committee, which will work with NAPs and other international data centres, to provide access to all relevant Southern Ocean observational data The SOOS Data Portal 15

16 A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY We have the opportunity to be a role model for the rest of the global community, showcasing the enormous and immediate benefits of working together, and sharing data and resources. SOOS and COMNAP could lead the way in initiating and driving this collaboration. We could provide a central unifying case example of how international coordination and collaboration can change the world The SOOS Project is an initiative of: The SOOS International Project Office is hosted by: The SOOS International Project Office is sponsored by: 16