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16 



LONG TERM 

 OBSERVATIONS - For 

 the same reasons that the 

 land-based weather 

 forecasters depend on 

 distributed networks of 

 observational systems, 

 the oceanographic 

 community needs these 

 capabilities. In fact, one 

 of the most dramatic 

 demonstratioris of the 

 value of long-term 

 observatior^s is the payoff 

 from the TOGA (Tropical 

 Ocean - Global 

 Atmosphere) buoys in 

 the central Pacific ocean. 

 This system has served 

 as the primary early 

 warrung system for El 

 Nino onset in the last 

 decade. As a result we 

 now have vastly 

 improved capabilities for 

 long-term forecasts. The 

 investment and 

 commitment needed for 

 such an effort, however, 

 are serious and large. 



Subject: US Contributions to a 

 Global Ocean Observing System 

 (COOS) 



Background: The ocean (both deep 

 and coastal) is a highly dynamic 

 environmental system whose space/ 

 time variability is of the same general 

 order as the atmosphere in part due to 

 the coupling of two systems. In 

 contrast to meteorology, there is no 

 equivalent coherent synoptic 

 monitoring and prediction technology 

 for the oceans. Different agencies 

 collect partial data sets or provide 

 rudimentary predictions: but the effort 

 is significantly below what is 

 required. The data sets on waves, 

 tides, circulation, temperature, 

 salinity, and biological indicators are 

 of potential use to governments and 

 private industries concerned with 

 nazard protection, transportation, 

 recreational and environmental 

 planning. The feedback of the 

 oceanographic information to 

 atmospheric models should eventually 

 improve weather forecasts as well. 

 Coastal regions worldwide are 

 susceptible to heavy damage from 

 earthquakes, hurricanes, storms and 

 flooding. Hurricane damage on the 

 east coast of the United States and the 

 recent earthquake in California have 

 resulted in a collective billion dollars 

 worth of property damage and loss of 

 commercial revenue. Several 

 atmospheric and land-based 

 observation programs exist currently 

 which are dedicated towards sensing 

 the formation of tropical storms and 

 recording seismic events along the 

 California coast, additional 

 information can be gained from ocean 

 bottom and ocean surface deployed 

 sensors which when combined with 

 the currently available data would 

 greatly enhance the understanding of 

 tnese destructive events and provide 

 new capabilities for disaster 

 prediction throughout the globe. 

 Bringing this all together and 

 providing a mechanism for 

 development and coordination is the 

 task of GOGS, an intergovernmental 

 program under the sponsorship of 

 several international agencies. The 

 goal of GOGS is observations to aid 

 the public good, by making use of 

 past research results, motivating new 

 research, and maintaining operational 

 observational programs. The US 

 contribution to GOOS is currently 

 built around an Interagency Working 

 Group with representation from 

 NOAA, NASA, NSF, Navy, State, 

 Interior, Coast Guard, EPA and DOE, 

 with scientific review from a GGGS 

 panel of the NAS/NRC. 



Opportunity: 



(1 ) US GGGS currently sets priorities 

 and determines content on tne basis 

 of individual agency contribution; the 

 opportunity for joint development of 

 activities that no one agency could 

 tackle alone has not been exploited. 



(2) Academic input to the US GOOS 

 is primarily through the NAS/NRC 

 GOOS panel. This could be made 



more significant and have more 

 impact if there were several 

 continuous academic working groups 

 addressing scientific aspects ofthe 

 five modules of GGGS (climate. 

 Health of the Gcean, Living Marine 

 Resources, Coastal Zone, and Marine 

 Services). 



(3) Industry has two major interests in 

 GGGS, namely as a supplier of GOOS 

 equipment and data/products, and as 

 a user of the output of COGS, for 

 example for improved ship routing. 

 Neither of these interests is being 

 fully exploited, which suggests a 

 wider partnership that incfudes 

 industry more explicitly. 



Hurdles: More communication and 

 outreach is needed by US COGS to 

 enable its constituents to develop and 

 be nurtured, which requires funding. 

 In the current climate of reduced 

 funding, it is more important to 

 improve our mechanisms for working 

 together, but scientists, agencies, and 

 industries are finding it difficult to 

 watch the horizon and take the long 

 view. The development of a GOOS 

 System would require overcoming 

 four important hurdles: 



1 . The scientific determination of the 

 proper parameters to measure, the 

 correct instruments, and optimum 

 locations for deployment. 



2. The design and manufacture of 

 precise, reliable components and 

 data links 



3. The logistics of installation of the 

 systems 



4. The establishment of data 

 recording, storage, analysis and 

 distribution facilities. 



Rationale for Partnership: GOOS, 

 and its objectives , are too big for any 

 single group to address. Partnerships 

 are essential to bring the required 

 interests, tools, and users together. 

 The users are a critical part of the 

 partnership, and, in light of the 

 recommended partnership dealing 

 with declassification, it could be 

 suggested that incorporation of such 

 capabilities into GGGS would be of 

 benefit to our national security as 

 well. 



Expected Product: A stronger 

 constituency for practical 

 oceanography, encompassing many 

 specific tasks involving data and 

 observations. At least daily 

 observations, predictions of ocean 

 physical parameters (waves, tides, 

 surges, currents, temperature and 

 salinity) along with biological 

 parameters such as color. Coherent 

 databases of the observations or 

 assimilated fields can be developed to 

 provide equivalents to meteorological 

 climatologies. The ultimate products 

 are oceanographic analogs to the 

 information now provided for the 

 atmosphere. 



