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Australian Initiatives in Marine Observing Systems

Ken Jarrott

Australian Bureau of Meteorology

DBCP XXII 2006 La Jolla USA

Tech & Scientific Workshop

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Two Unrelated, Connected Initiatives

INTEGRATED MARINE OBSERVING SYSTEMo Major “Vision and Capability Shifting” Initiative of National Scope

o Multi-discipline – large scale physical oceanography through to coastal ocean ecology and biology

o Will Engage Tens of Research Agencies Across Aust and Beyond

o A Capability Investment - No Direct Knowledge Targets

DRIFTING BUOY PROFILING - EAST AUSTRALIA CURRENT o Research Proposal – Specific Knowledge Objective

o Small Discipline Base and Participant Group

(Propositions)

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National Cooperative Research Infrastructure Strategy

To fund INFRASTRUCTURE that maximises the contributions of the R&D system to economic development, national security, social wellbeing and environmental sustainability . . . . .

Does NOT fund research.

$500M – over 5 years

Infrastructure to be developed on collaborative, national, non-exclusive basis. To serve the research and innovation system broadly, not just host institutions. Funding to encourage co-investment.

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“Integrated Marine Observing System”

Federal Government Federal Government Research InfrastructureResearch Infrastructure ProposalProposal

MARINE “IMOS” ONE OF 9 PRIORITY AREASMARINE “IMOS” ONE OF 9 PRIORITY AREAS

~ AUS $50m~ AUS $50m

FIVE YEAR FUNDINGFIVE YEAR FUNDING Starting in 2007 Starting in 2007

COMMUNAL FUNDING & GOVERNANCE MODELCOMMUNAL FUNDING & GOVERNANCE MODEL

Scale: Scale: DEEP OCEAN COASTAL ECOSYSTEM DEEP OCEAN COASTAL ECOSYSTEM

IN_SITU IN_SITU andand REMOTE SENSING REMOTE SENSING ElementsElements

COMMUNAL DATA MANAGEMENT & ACCESSCOMMUNAL DATA MANAGEMENT & ACCESS

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IMOS Outcomes (Proposal)

Proposal Development

Science & natural resource management questions

Wishes and hopes of proponents: * oceanographers & climate scientists * regionally focussed science institutions * governments & enterprises

Major National Themes• Large scale ocean structures, drivers and variability (physical and biological)

• Coupling / exchanges to shelves and near-coast areas, esp. boundary currents

• Interaction of ecosystem dynamics in relation to physical processes

TIMELY ACCESS TO TRUSTED DATA SETS

Funded Technologies• Argo Floats• Ocean and Shelf Moorings• Ship Sampling• Gliders and other UAVs• HF Radars• Acoustic Tagging & Monitoring• Remote Sensing (Satellite)• Distributed Sensor Nets

DATA SYSTEMS & SERVICES

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IMOS Operating Model

Some Specific Infrastructure Custodians/Operators (eg Argo)

National and Regional Infrastructure Allocation

Deployable / Rotational Resources Can be Assigned from National Pool (eg Gliders, some HF Radars)

Expertise / National Support Centres for Some Technologies, to avoid duplication, e.g:

QLD – HF Radars

WA – Gliders

CSIRO Marine Research – Moorings

. . . . . .

Common “eMarine” Information Infrastructure – single distributed and federated network, covering standards, formats, QA, archiving, data portals

Governance and funding focus through single point – working with specific infrastructure networks through consortia of Operators.

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Some IMOS Outcomes (1 – Blue Water)

Ship of Opportunity – extend existing ship observations in regional seas linking physical, chemical and biological oceanography

Argo program scale secured and extended

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National Moorings Plan (approx)

Australian Boundary Currents

ReferenceShelfSlope

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Gliders

National pool of ten gliders (plus existing units)

Example : Perth Canyon

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HF Coastal Ocean Radar Network

Proposed Installations

National pool of 4 radars – long range & medium range

Phased array and direction finding units

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IMOS HF Radars

SST 29/9/91

EAC

Sydney

Jervis Bay

Cape Byron

Tasman Sea

EAC Eddy

Smoky Cape

EAC Separation

Satellite Image of Sea Surface Temperature along the east coast of Australia, 29 September 1991 showing the influence of the EAC, an EAC eddy and the Tasman Sea.

Permanent HF Radar nodes.

Temporary HF Radar nodes.

Representative Application

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Southern Aust Regional Node---- Moorings: currents, T,S,DO, NH4, fluores; phyto & zooplankton; noise,benthos etc

x - HF RADAR

Gliders: T,S, fluor, turbidity etc

NB

Instrumented predators

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Great Barrier Reef Marine Observations

SEC = South Equatorial Current

EAC = East Australian Current

Coral Sea mooring (1)

Slope moorings (4)

Shelf mooring (1)

Oceanographic buoys (3)

Island Research Stations (4)

Reef towers (3)

HF Radar

Temp/Salinity

Flow

Light & heat fluxes

Chlorophyll

Turbidity

Particulate carbon

Local variables (sensor networks)

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Research Proposal – Drifting Buoy Profiling of East Australian Current

Very influential boundary current, with high ecological and economic impact.

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East Australian Current

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Uncertainties in Mean Currents

20 40 60 80 100

20

40

60

80

100

0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2

Derived from the Global Surface Drifter Program (courtesy Rick Lumpkin, NOAA)

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Drifting Buoy Proposal

Research Funding Grant being sought. 2007 start???

Three Year deployment of drifting buoy clusters to observe the Spring-Summer formation of the EAC and the Tasman Front.

After initial pilot deployment in Year 1, could deploy 10 buoys per month for 3 months in subsequent years. Close pairs to be used for Lagrangian drift observations.

SVP upgrades to some units possible.

Will use existing XBT SOOP vessel (monthly transects possible).