Welcome and introduction to EOS

Working groups 1 – 4 meeting2-4 March 2015 Liège, Belgium

The Ocean

Largest heat capacity in the climate system

The ocean controls the rate of climate change

Ocean circulation patterns redistribute that

heat (to atmosphere and deep ocean)

Variability in ocean circulation determines

seasonal to decadal variability in climate.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

What is an Ocean Synthesis?

→ a comprehensive estimation of the ocean state over the last decades (mainly temperature, salinity, sea level and currents)

→ calculated by merging hydrodynamic ocean models and all available observations using data assimilation

Hydrodynamic model Observations

+

→ Ocean syntheses are critical to understand climate and to predict future change

Applications for Ocean Syntheses

Initial conditions in hydrodynamic models:- for operational forecasts of the ocean- for short-term predictions (study of specific processes)- for climate-related activities

Study of ocean-atmosphere interactions (heat balance, global water cycle)

Computation of transports across ocean basins and key straits (transport of heat)

Monitoring the ocean

Serving Copernicus downstream services

There can be:

- Different hydrodynamic models- Different data quality procedures- Different data assimilation approaches- Different spatial and temporal resolution- Global of regional coverage

many different estimates of the ocean!

Source: MyOcean2 workshop; P. Bahurel. Essential Climate Variables data exchange and information issues in FP7 projects. 2012

Evaluation of Ocean Syntheses

A wide range of ocean syntheses exist, each created to fulfill specific objectives.

Ocean syntheses have been insufficiently evaluated – products present significant differences!

Lack of coordination between different efforts

Users of ocean syntheses do not know:

- Which specific product to use for their application- How good this product is- How a particular ocean synthesis differs from others

?http://www.magerempowerment.com

Evaluation of Ocean Syntheses

We need to bring together:

Experts in physical oceanographyExperts in hydrodynamic modellingExperts in climate researchExperts in data assimilationExperts in Earth observationExperts in ocean synthesis and reanalysisExperts in air-sea flux measurements…

Research towards the improvement of ocean syntheses is being done at several research centres, but the coordination to reach a consensus on the accuracy of these products is missing

A COST Action is the best mechanism to ensure this coordination

This has been recognized by the WCRP (World Climate Research Programme) through its CLIVAR (Climate Variability and Predictability) office

ObjectivesMain objective: establish and consolidate a network of European scientists working onthe generation and evaluation of ocean synthesis products, data providers, experts in dataassimilation and ocean modelling...

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- compile an inventory of end-user requirements (quality and availability of ocean syntheses)- improve the understanding of the value and use of ocean syntheses- issue recommendations on which data products are the most suitable for which task.- increase awareness of ocean synthesis products among end users

Objectives aiming to take European research to the next level

- Allow young researchers to become aware of state-of-the-art techniques for the generation and evaluation of ocean synthesis products.

- Provide a uniform framework for the evaluation of ocean syntheses within Europe (a reference for scientists worldwide)

- Increase collaboration between European researchers. This will increase the visibility of research performed in these areas, and will allow European research to take a more international leading role.

Reasons for the Action

There is a demand at the international level for a concerted assessment of the quality of the

various ocean syntheses available (no standard procedure for the evaluation)

It is difficult to coordinate and maintain these evaluation activities without a central

Network

Scientific activities are being financed by various projects at national and European levels

Potential Impact of the Action

Improved understanding of the role of the ocean in climate change

Improved understanding on how fit for different purposes various ocean syntheses are

Increase the value of ocean syntheses for GMES Marine core services (impact to society)

Benefit the international efforts done by WCRP to understand climate variability

Encourage scientists to use ocean syntheses

End users

Scientific community (ocean, weather, climate modellers, climate researchers, oceanographers)working in:

national research centresoperational centres (e.g. Mercator Ocean in France)national weather services (e.g. Met Office in the UK)climate research centres...

Public sectorPolicy makersLocal authorities in coastal regions, marine safetyNational environmental agencies

Private sector and other non-scientific representatives of the European society Fisheries management authoritiesInsurance companies

Commercial shippingOffshore renewables as well as Oil and Gas

Plus all end users that will be contacted through ongoing European projects (MyOcean2, GODAE, CLIVAR/GSOP...)

European bodies and public authorities (ESA, ECMWF, EMSA, EEA)

Public institutions at national level (e.g. Puertos de Estado in Spain, meteorological agencies...)

International bodies (CLIVAR/WCRP, Arctic Council (through the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme), IPCC, ICES)

Local authorities (e.g. large coastal city councils), private environment management agencies...

Some partners in the consortium have an advisory mandate for a given ministry in their member state.

Stakeholders

Involvement plan for stakeholders and end-users

- Surveys to gather feedback from end-users- Presentation of the Action in conferences, meetings and institutions- Contact database for newsletters and e-mail listings about the Action- Invitation to Action meetings, final conference- Include an “end-user” representative in the steering committee- Organisation of a final conference / workshop aimed at end-users and stakeholders

Organisation and management

WG leaders + Management Committee

An STSM manager

A responsible for gender equality and Early Stage Researcher (ESR) related questions

A webmaster

Specific organising committees (training schools, workshops, conference)

A Steering Committee (Chair, Vice-Chair, WG leaders, STSM manager, “end-user” representative) in charge of ensuring the overall good advancement of the Action objectives, deliverables and milestones.

Milestones:M1: Catalogue of ocean synthesis products and independent datasets

– To be continued beyond the Action (several possibilities) M2: Report (guidelines to intercompare ocean synthesis products)M3: Report (impact of data discontinuity on the quality of the ocean syntheses)M4: Report (recommendations on use of specific ocean syntheses)M5: Workshops organized by the ActionM6: Reports from the Action workshopsM7: Proceedings of the Plenary Conference

Working groups

WG 1: Preparation and harmonization of data / Karina von Schuckmann, Simona Masina- Catalog of available ocean syntheses- Catalog of available independent data (including SeaDataNet and EMODNet)- Guidelines for evaluation of ocean syntheses (MyOcean2, GODAE, CLIVAR/GSOP)- Observation impact experiments

WG 2: Evaluation of ocean syntheses / Andrea Storto, Antonio Turiel - Quality of ocean syntheses products and intercomparison- Impact of new satellite/in situ data sets in the quality of ocean syntheses- Assessment of adequateness of error fields

WG3: Applications: from short-term predictability to climate studies / Gabriel Jordà, Maria Valdivieso- Variability of ocean heat and freshwater transports- Evaluation of Arctic and Antarctic circulation patterns and transports- Evaluation of propagating modes in the ocean syntheses- Near real-time monitoring of climate signals

- Characterization of the sea level variability at interannual and interdecadal scales

WG4: Downscaling issues: from global to regional syntheses / Marie Drevillon, Anna Brook- Impact of using higher resolution- Assessment of the optimal temporal frequency of boundary conditions- Inter-comparison of regional and global syntheses- Consistency between global and regional syntheses

WG and MC meetings twice a yearExternal experts invited to attendHeld in consecutive days to maximise feedback

Short-term Scientific Missions (STSMs)

Training schools organised, possibly joining efforts with ongoing research projects- Evaluation of ocean models, data and syntheses- Downscaling issues for regional ocean syntheses (MyOcean2)

Workshops (3)- Potential topics: Intercomparison of ocean syntheses, Observing system impact on

ocean syntheses, Downscaling, Polar regions, Sea level rise... - First workshop in Fall 2015, jointly organised with CLIVAR: Ocean heat budget

Plenary conference (International Liège Colloquium 2018) on Ocean Syntheses- Keynote speakers- Results of the Action- Special Issue with full-length articles- Training school

Website: www.eos-cost.eu

Activities foreseen for the duration of the Action

WWW

Time table

Short-Term Scientific Missions

Scientific missions from 5 days to 3 months (6 months for ESR)

Scientists from any institution in the Action countries to any institution in the Action countries

Foreseen: 4 for 2015

Open-themed: need to pursue the Action goals

Also possibility to propose STSMs, examples

- Observation impact experiments (WG1)- Comparison of reanalyses at in situ data locations (WG2)

Need to identify: – Host institution– Candidate

STSM proposed topics (examples)

Observation impact experiments

Comparison of reanalyses at in situ data locations

Near real-time monitoring of climate signals (from operationally-produced syntheses)

Validation of ocean syntheses using OceanSITES data

Agenda for the 2.5 days to come

Half-day WG meetings:

Monday AM: WG1: Preparation and harmonization of data

Monday PM: MC meeting

Tuesday AM: WG2: Evaluation of ocean syntheses Tuesday PM: WG3: Applications: from short-term predictability to climate studies

Wednesday AM: WG4: Downscaling issues: from global to regional syntheses

Main objectives for this meeting

Know who's who, what research is being done

Identify areas poorly covered by participants

Identify missing key people in the Action

Establish next steps, goals ahead...

Define STSM topics / candidates

http://www.eos-cost.eu

Earth System Science and Environmental Management

A COST Action to improve the coordination of European efforts in the evaluation of ocean syntheses:

better understanding of the value and use of ocean syntheses promote the use of ocean syntheses

Chairs:Aida Alvera-Azcárate (University of Liège, BE)Keith Haines (University of Reading, UK)

COST provides support for:

MeetingsWorkshopsTraining schoolsShort scientific exchanges