Argo & GOOS

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec. 2015

Global Ocean Observing System& Argo

Mathieu BelbéochArgo Technical Coordinator

JCOMMOPS Head

belbeoch@jcommops.orgsupport@jcommops.org

https://twitter.com/jcommops

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec. 2015

The Ocean

• The (ocean) planet is in age of increasing human impact and vulnerability.

• « The sustainability of the planet depends on the health of the ocean » I. Bokova UNESCO DG

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec. 2015

Ocean Observations?

• CO2 …• Heat content, sea ice, sea level• Acidification, deoxygenation• Resources over-exploitation• Nutrients, sound, plastics• Climate extremes• Natural/non natural hazards• Ecosystems health

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec. 2015

Ocean Observations?

• ¾ of human population lives in the coastal zone …

• 60% of our proteins is produced by the ocean• 60% of our oxygen is produced by the ocean• 90 % of commercial transits via the ocean• Ocean heat/carbon store

• Ocean is at the heart of climate machine

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Ocean Observations?

• Predict the impact of global/local changes on coastal communitiesand nations

• Improve safety and efficiency of maritime operations• Mitigate effects of hazards• Guide international action and optimize government’s policies• Shape economic strategies• Enable sustained used of ocean resources• Reduce public health risks, protect ecosystems

• Prepare high quality and multi-disciplinary datasets for use by future generations

• Healthy ocean = healthy blue economy

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec. 2015

History

• British survey 1872-1876: Challenger

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WOCE

• There have been several attempts to do global surveys of the ocean, Challenger was one, Meteor another. The very best was in the early to mid 1990s called WOCE – World Ocean Circulation Experiment.

• This was a huge effort, cost a lot of money, and took way too long, we need to survey the ocean cheaper and much faster.

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History• 60s: electronic, miniaturisation, … instrumentation

• Before the 80s, most of ocean observations were made via research vessels (specific regional campaigns, expensive, seasonal bias, data sequestrated)

• Advent of satellite measurements and in-situ moored/floating instruments led to enormous improvements in our understanding of the ocean

• Socioeconomic benefits of global ocean observations were formally recognized in 1990 (GOOS establishment)

• The joint IOC-WMO commission for oceanography and marine meteorology was then established in 1999 (JCOMM)

www.ioc-goos.org

www.jcomm.info

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec. 2015

Ocean Observations?

• In-situ• Satellites

• Operational forecasting systems– Weather– « Ocean weather »

• Large range of global/regional ocean analysis, including climate science and ecosystems health

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec. 2015

Ocean Observations

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec. 2015

Ocean Observations

• Global observing programmes are funded and implemented nationally

• International and technical coordination is required between all actors

• IOC/UNESCO, WMO, JCOMM, GOOS …. JCOMMOPS:– coordination mecanism, developing standard procedures,

best practices for fully integrated marine observing, data management, and services system

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec. 2015

JCOMMOPS• IOC/WMO Operational Centre (Brest/France) • international/intergovernmental context, transparency• Monitor (10 000 units), coordinate and harmonize practices of sustained

international ocean observing programmes• Measure the performance vs objectives

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec. 2015

www.jcommops.org

• Re - opening early 2016• Currently under review

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Argo vision proposed in 1999

• And approved• Target: 3000 floats …. T/S• Achieved in 2007

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Argo revolution

• Unprecedented international cooperation in history of oceanography

• Free and unrestricted data access• ~4000 autonomous robots monitor the ocean in real-time

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Profiling Floats

• TEMPERATURE, SALINITY, PRESSURE (2000m)• Subsurface currents• Biogeochemical sensors (oxygen, chlorophyl,

nitrates, pH, etc)• Others: acoustic listeners, cameras ..

• Operates 5-10 years, 15k$ / base unit• 120 000 profiles/year (1 million achieved in 2012)

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Float Cycle

• Cost WOCE CTD:15 000$

• Cost Argo Profile150$

• 100-1000 T/S levels

Argo data in Labrado r Sea (Canada)

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Argo: Dominant ocean dataset

• WOCE: 8000 profiles / 7 years• Argo: 10000 / month …

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Argo’s future (6000 units ?)

• Global (space/regional)• Full depth: ocean warming below 2000m too (SO)!• Multidisciplinary (Essential Ocean/Climate Variables)

3000 +1000

+1000+1000

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Argo Contributions30 Participating countries

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Argo ContributionsKey contributors decreasing or flat (below inflation) funding

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Argo applications

• Ocean research: circulation/storage heat, climate, rainfall/drought patterns,variability

• Operational oceanography (with satellite data), climate prediction: seasons, years, decades

• ideal vector for education and outreach

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec. 2015

Argo can monitor global climate change

Global [0;2000m] ocean heat content seen by Argo . Small signal detected in only 8 years.Remarkable, due to uniform coverage and high quality of the dataset

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Argo trajectories give unprecedented details of ocean circulation at 1000m

Ollitrault and Colin De Verdiere, 2014

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec. 2015

Argo

• Argo makes visible large-scale ocean and climate features and processes that were once hidden to scientists.

• The network has enabled new revelations about ocean dynamics that are helping society understand and forecast global climate.

• It will continue to take the pulses of the ocean for many decades

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec. 2015

Argo

• Argo allows the progress of planetary warming to be tracked in unprecedented accuracy and in near realtime, due to thefact that most of the extra heat trapped by Greenhouse gases on Earth is absorbed into the global ocean (90%).

• Argo network will start soondegrading !!!

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec. 2015

Deployments

• Challenge: 1000 units / year ( +1000 surface drifters)

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Civil Society

• Develop international cooperation

• Developing partnerships and sponsoring with civil society is essential:– Sailing (exploration, races, rallyes, NGOs)– Blue economy

• Develop outreach (future generations)

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec. 2015

Conclusion

• GOOS System is not achieved (60%) and vulnerable

• Completion and multidisciplinary evolution seems unachievable …

• In-situ ocean observations are crucial, but far away from societal applications

• In-situ observations are cheap vs the outcomes– Argo = 25 M$ / year …

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec. 2015

Conclusion

Governing is observing …

CALL to UNFCC Member States:

i) Raise national contributions to help Argo become truly global and multidisciplinary, and facilitate access to Maritime Zones under their sovereignty.

ii) and help sustain the other in-situ elements of the GOOS

TARA / COP21 Paris, Dec. 2015

Thank you

• Questions?

B. Stamm Barcelona World Race 2014-2015