OCG-6, 27 April 2015, Cape Town, South Africa

EGO/GROOM ‘artistic’ view

Pierre Testor LOCEAN, CNRS, Paris, France

EGO: Everyone’s Gliding ObservatoriesTowards a global glider network

1km

Maneuverable ; U ~ 25km/day ; a ‘dive’ in ~0.5-5h (1-2 ‘vertical’ profiles)

Physical and biogeochemical sensors (ECV/EOV: T, S, O2, fluo Chl-a, fluo CDOM, Optical Backscatter, Nitrates, ADCP, Hydrophones,… )

+ average currents over the dives

Versatile and reusable

~2-5km

Data Centers

Land Station

users

EGO: gliders capabilities

Pot. TempSalinityPot. Dens.OxygenFluo ChlaTurbiditynorth south

NorthernCurrent

North Balearic Front

Mixed patch

Gliders: • allow to study the physical-biogeochemical coupling• are present at sea even during strong weather conditions

A vertical section from a glider:

eddiesPlumes ~1km

Gliders reveal a wide range of variability (smallbasin scales)

193 km/h

2014: all Temperature profiles

Nb of profiles per year in the NWMED

profiling floats glidersshipsXBTs/XCTDs

… before the gliders era

Example of the northwestern Mediterranean

At depth: small variability (~0.1degC) low (small) frequency signals can emerge

But above: larger variability, strong need of much more observations to reduce uncertainties

We know the temperature of deep waters (>700m) is increasing since the 70s (Bethoux et al. 1998)

But no similar assessment could be made for the surface and intermediate layers…

Pot. Temp (>700m)

12.7

12.9

13.1

13.3

1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

14,000

4,000

MOOSE gliders

Multidisciplinary data

Surface and intermediate layers in the Gulf of Lions

Contrasts between the open ocean (grey) and the coast (pink, orange, purple)

indicators of dynamical regimes (full line = significant and not aliased)

AW temperature

AW salinity

LIW temperature

LIW salinity

Seasonal cycles

Abrupt changes / reversals

Interannual variability

2010 2014201320122011200920082007 2015 2010 2014201320122011200920082007 2015

300km

Multidisciplinary data

Surface and intermediate layers in the Ligurian Sea

Contrasts between the open ocean (grey) and the coast (green and blue)

indicators of dynamical regimes (full line = significant and not aliased)

AW temperature

AW salinity

LIW temperature

LIW salinity

Seasonal cycles

Abrupt changes / reversals

Interannual variability

2010 2014201320122011200920082007 2015 2010 2014201320122011200920082007 2015

300km

EU, USA, Canada, Australia, Mexico, South Africa, Peru, Chile,…(academics+manufacturers)

• 6 EGO meetings and Glider Schools (>2006)

• Showcase website http://www.ego-network.org

• International fleet experiments

• OceanObs’09 White Paper (Testor and 44 co-authors, 2010). Gliders are perfectly suited for physical, biogeochemical and biological measurements can be used in combination with the other components of the GOOS can enhance the spatio-temporal sampling of the GOOS (in-situ) where

required

(10,000 unique visitors and 100,000 pageviews per year)

OceanObs’09 need for a glider component in the GOOS in line with the other components, recommendations

.

EGO: a glider community

Liblik T., J. Karstensen, P. Testor, P. Alenius, D. Hayes, S. Ruiz, K. J. Heywood, S. Pouliquen, L. Mortier and E. Mauri (2015): The potential for a glider component in the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), J. Operational Oceanogr., submitted

EGO, gliders and the GOOS

• Gliders have a high potential for synergy with several GOOS components.

• Gliders have a long list of mission-proved sensor payload to carry a great variety of sensors (e.g. pressure, conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, Chl-a fluorescence, CDOM, turbidity, phycocobilins, PAR, turbulence, nitrate, different acoustic sensors).

• Gliders can bridge spatial, temporal, and variable sampling gaps in the present GOOS carrying out coastal-offshore sections, or sampling the meso- and submesoscale.

Literature review100 scientific papers selected

• Gliders have become a reliable and versatile survey platform in oceanography (especially for physical and biogeochemical studies) during last 5 years.

• Gliders are a relevant platform for turbulence measurements and acoustic studies (biology- zooplankton, fishes, marine mammals; geology- volcanoes, sedimentology, topography mapping; environmental sciences- underwater noise).

• Gliders are weather-insensitive so that they can be used in weather conditions where research ships cannot operate. Thus gliders can collect data from situations that are often the most dynamic in oceans.

• Gliders data can be used to cost-effectively extend and complement historical time-series.

• Gliders can be used for operational monitoring of natural hazards like toxic blooms, hurricanes and of anthropogenic activity induced hazards (like those associated with mining, dredging and oil spills).

• Glider-collected data improve the ability of operational numerical model predictions and thus operational safety of marine activities.

EGO, gliders and the GOOS

Status against targets (and change since OCG-5)

OceanObs’09 recommendations:

the formation of the global glider system; in progress, need for an implementation plan

the adoption of standards and a “Argo” like data system for gliders; ~ok, and will evolve

the target of ~20 standard lines in the next 5 years and then, more;~ok

the setup of a network of shared resources and expertise;almost ok

to distinguish between climate and process and NWP objectives;almost ok (GOOS vs process studies)

to establish the adoption of a common and accessible portal for glider data.

TBD? access through NDBC, Coriolis, IMOS and GTS

A decade of glider data (2004/09 – now) in the GTS: 226243 profiles,113 platforms

Status against targets (and change since OCG-5)

• Some glider teams have not yet managed to feed the system

• Line drops (distributed « gliderports »)

Last month

Outlook status: anticipated changes in next 18 months

against targets (if they may not be met, why not?)

Development in the framework of 3 main research communities:• Australia: IMOS – ANFOG• USA: IOOS – NGN• EU: EOOS – EGN ?

EGO = community of practise

• Further develop common data format/standards

• Develop the network (coastal/regional and global scales)

• Discussions on a global and glider-specific program (trade-off regional/global, water mass formation areas, boundary currents shelf interactions)

need for an implementation plan

WP3.4: glider network

1410

2216

13

2

9

23

• COST Action ES0904 - EGO (coordination/wide-open: include Australia, South Africa, Israel, Mexico, USA, Canada, Peru, Chile, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria…)

• GROOM” Gliders for Research, Ocean Observation and Management “ (EU FP7 Research Infrastructure design study, WP2 = Integration into the GOOS) http://www.groom-fp7.eu

http://www.ego-cost.eu

~ 90 gliders in EU + « downstream » infrastructures + personel (~45 FTE)

> 10,000 profiles / year (physical/biogeochemical) 20-30% of the global activity ~ 4-6 Meuro / year (consolidated)

1

EU perspective

Outlook status: anticipated changes in next 18 months

1. Act on behalf of the European part of the global glider community (EGO). Develop a glider component in the GOOS at the EU level together with international partners (USA, Australia, South Africa, Mexico, Peru, Chile,...).

2. Develop the European glider network, coordinate and assist the standardization of glider operations, data and applications. Ensure data availability, EMODnet and ROOS data portals in particular.

3. Set up a framework for users and operators:1. promoting glider applications through liaison between providers and users,

advocacy, and provision of expert advice. 2. sharing success stories and difficulties3. providing and exchanging open source tools (piloting, maintenance, data QC and

analysis, applications…)4. promoting scientific synergies with other observing systems for key questions;

filling gaps !5. promoting joint proposals

4. Contribute to the development of the European Ocean Observing System (EOOS), in the coastal area and in the open ocean. Establish a Glider European Research Infrastructure (GERI) to better sustain this glider activity.

Terms of Reference for a glider TT in EuroGOOS

Outlook status: anticipated changes in next 18 months

Risk assessment

Just in-between “pilot” and “mature” networks. Integration of gliders almost done

What risks to sustained observations do you monitor, in areas of:• observing system implementation ?

sustainability? (long-term observational programs to be secured)• platform/sensor performance ?

no risk on platform/sensor performance (depends on operations)• QC, data flow ?

need to avoid fragmentation - teams/platforms/sensors (RT & DM !!!)

Which risks are most likely, and what are the plans to mitigate them? What risks do JCOMM and/or JCOMMOPS need to address by raising visibility, raising with sponsors, etc?

• Glider operators need to realize the potential of regional obs. in a global context • A “GOOS glider project” or “the glider sides of GOOS projects ?

need for an implementation plan and the help of JCOMM global maps of the glider activity & end-to-end data flow

Design evolution (or motivations to change design)

• Deep (6000m) gliders, wavegliders ?

• More sensors (nitrates, ph, wind, rainfall, hydrocarbons,…)

• Help setting up new sustained repeat-sections EGO expertise design studies (existing methodologies OSSEs), assessment at coastal/regional and global scales

Progress against ‘infamous’ (?) Keeley Report actions

“There is a developing community of glider operators. These operations are not well coordinated yet and so a search on the Internet turns up many pages dealing with gliders, but no coordinating body. Interested readers can look to pages on Wikipedia as a starting point [11]. “

http://www.ego-network.org/

“Up to this time, management of the data coming from gliders is an issue for the operating agency. Some of these data reach national archives, and some do not. However, at the most recent OOPC meeting (September 2013) a representative of the glider community expressed strong interest in joining the JCOMM OPA. This is a positive development (Rec 2).”

thanks !

“All three Programme Areas of JCOMM should have a conversation with representatives of the global glider community as soon as practical. OPA interests are in the coordination of the data collections with other programmes. DMPA is impacted to help ensure that data reporting protocols (formats, timeliness, glider identification, etc.) conform to international requirements. SFSPA has interests in ensuring the data from gliders are properly identified and reach the services interested in using them.”

in progress, started with OCG-5

“Undulating instruments, such as gliders, can also provide salinity measurements using CTDs. The accuracy of these are dependent on the model of CTD and some of the post processing. The same comments could be made of the CTDs mounted on marine mammals.”

Same as profiling floats !!!

“Sparse sampling in oceans. Typically the deepest sample is from 100-1000m at 1m intervals.”

Soon a wider network and 6000m depth gliders

Data/interoperability standards in use

Undulating gliders: ascent/dive angles = 17-30 deg to the surfacequasi-vertical profilesL1 products

Standards and best practice documentation:• Common glider data exchange netcdf format EGO v1.1 • Report describing the design aspects of the observatory ground segment • Report describing protocols for sampling, sample analysis, inter-calibration of missions, data analysis • Scientific report on existing sensors to be integrated on gliders for biogeochemical and biological applications • Report assessing the predominant sensors for gliders and recommending the new sensors to be integrated • Report on GDAC portal organization • Report describing costs to build and operate the glider observatory infrastructure

http://www.ego-network.org/dokuwiki/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=public:datamanagement:groom_gliders_user_manual-version1.1-sandiego.pdf http://www.groom-fp7.eu/doku.php?id=public:deliverables

Conclusions

Glider officer/coordinator position to open at JCOMMOPS ?Trial with a 2 year position thanks to AtlantOS.

• Support for deployments/recoveries (coordination for ship opportunities,…)• Monitoring the network downstream the glider operators/communities• Data management issues• Voice/advocacy in international panels

Long term : ½ position ? To be shared with regional/coastal coordination purposes ?

Gliders on track !!! Glider challenge: High resolution technology for 4D oceanic measurements on 17th June 2015. Science Day just in between of the IOC Executive Council and the Assembly.

Continue to develop and consolidate the international EGO scientific network (after the COST Action ES0904 “EGO”)

Implementation plan: EuroGOOS glider TT GOOS

Need for an endorsement (support?) from JCOMM• EGO web site as a single portal for the glider network• 7th EGO meeting and Glider School in 2016 (AtlantOS sponsored)

Thank you!