Objective:
Our objective is to maintain a global array of Argos-tracked Lagrangian
drifters to meet the need for an accurate and globally dense set of in situ
observations of sea-surface temperature (SST) and surface circulation to
support short-term (seasonal-to-interannual) climate predictions as well as
climate research and monitoring.
Rationale:
The project is based on the need for high-quality in situ measurements of
SST for initializing short-term climate prediction models as well as for
producing global SST maps upon which the assessment of the utility of the
models depends. The surface velocity data provide a valuable independent
constraint on the veracity of the ocean component of the climate prediction
models.
Method:
The Global Drifter Center (GDC) at AOML is responsible for scheduling the
deployments of a total of 450 Global Lagrangian Drifters per year in all of
the world's ocean basins and maintaining the Global Drifter Array.
This entails contacting research vessels and Volunteer Observing Ships,
placing drifters on ships and teaching correct deployment methods. Similar
arrangements for air deployments are also made in order to seed some very
remote areas. The GDC furthermore coordinates the international Surface
Velocity Program which is co-sponsored by the World Ocean Circulation
Experiment (WOCE) and the Climate Variability and Predictability (CLIVAR)
program of the World Climate Research Programme and acts as the liaison
between SVP members and the WOCE and CLIVAR project offices. Finally, the
GDC is responsible for monitoring the survivability of the drifter arrays,
maintain a comprehensive metadata file and publish reports about the global
array in meeting reports and popular scientific journals.
Accomplishment:
The transition of the GDC from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography
(SIO) to AOML, which was begun in October 1994 has been completed with
excellent results. The planned six month overlap between SIO and AOML was
abbreviated considerably. Also, rather than simply maintaining the
existing array, new arrays were installed in three areas: the Indian,
Southern and northeast Pacific Oceans during the transition period.
World-wide, over seven hundred drifters were being monitored (figure) by
the GDC on March 30, 1995. Drifters are being placed at a rate of more than one per
day, and that pace is expected to increase soon as several large
deployments begin. More than 350 drifters were deployed during fiscal year
1995, and over 50 are presently shipped and poised for deployment.
The past year saw the first large-scale deployments of barometer drifters
in the Southern Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean and the northwest Pacific
Ocean. These instruments have required careful monitoring to ensure that
they are operating in good condition and that the data, which are used in
numerical weather predictions in near-real time by meteorological centers
throughout the world, are being put to best advantage.
There were several instances during the year in which flaws or
manufacturing defects arose, requiring that 154 drifters be tested before
deployment. In addition to maintaining the drifter array, several
initiatives have been undertaken to support the growth and quality of the
Global Drifter Array: (a) we have begun a database of BUOY-QC drifter
quality control messages which has been used to create the first evaluation
report on barometer drifter success, (b) we began procurement of four
Global Position System (GPS) drifters to test the utility of GPS, (c)
NOAA's Oceanographic Data Distribution System software has been installed
to monitor the dissemination of barometer drifter data on the Global
Telecommunications System.
Key reference:
Click here to return to the AOML project overview page.
Click here to return to the Implement Seasonal to Interannual Climate Forcasts page.