Global Drifter Program (GDP)

Rick LumpkinRick LumpkinNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML)Miami, Florida USA

Drifter Measurements of Surface Velocity, SST and Atmospheric Pressure

Data Buoy Cooperation Panel (DBCP) 20th Session – October 2004Chennai, India

Data Buoy Cooperation Panel (DBCP) 20th Session – October 2004Chennai, India

GDP purpose

GDP: the principal component of the Global Surface Drifting Buoy Array, a branch of NOAA’s Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) and Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) and a scientific project of the DBC.

Objectives:

Maintain a global 5ºx5º array of ARGOS-tracked Lagrangian surface drifting buoys to meet the need for an accurate and globally dense set of in-situ observations: mixed layer currents, SST, atmospheric pressure, winds, and salinity. Provide data processing system for scientific use of these data.

These data support short-term (seasonal-to-interannual) climate predictions as well as climate research and monitoring.

GDP: the principal component of the Global Surface Drifting Buoy Array, a branch of NOAA’s Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) and Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) and a scientific project of the DBC.

Objectives:

Maintain a global 5ºx5º array of ARGOS-tracked Lagrangian surface drifting buoys to meet the need for an accurate and globally dense set of in-situ observations: mixed layer currents, SST, atmospheric pressure, winds, and salinity. Provide data processing system for scientific use of these data.

These data support short-term (seasonal-to-interannual) climate predictions as well as climate research and monitoring.

• Manufacturers in private industry: build the drifters according to closely monitored specifications

 • NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological

Laboratory (AOML): coordinates deployments, processes the data, archives data at AOML and at MEDS (Canada), maintains META files describing each drifter deployed, develops and distributes data-based products, updates the GDP website

 • NOAA’s Joint Institute of Marine Observations (JIMO):

supervises the industry, upgrades the technology, purchases the drifters, develops enhanced data sets, maintains liaison with individual research programs that deploy drifters

• Manufacturers in private industry: build the drifters according to closely monitored specifications

 • NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological

Laboratory (AOML): coordinates deployments, processes the data, archives data at AOML and at MEDS (Canada), maintains META files describing each drifter deployed, develops and distributes data-based products, updates the GDP website

 • NOAA’s Joint Institute of Marine Observations (JIMO):

supervises the industry, upgrades the technology, purchases the drifters, develops enhanced data sets, maintains liaison with individual research programs that deploy drifters

The GDP is managed with close cooperation between:

Global Array (present status)

Drifters deployedSeptember 2003 – August 2004

Tropical Oceans (20°S – 20°N)

Pacific: 169 Atlantic: 100 Indian: 18

Drifters deployedSeptember 2003 – August 2004

Subtropical Southern Hemisphere (40°S – 20°S)

55 drifters deployed. Barometer upgrades: 5 (Pacific), 6 (Atlantic)

Drifters deployedSeptember 2003 – August 2004

Southern Ocean (south of 40°S)

92 drifters deployed. Barometer upgrades: 74

2005: Goals and plans

Deploy 900 Drifters in the period between October 2004 and September 2005. Up to 300 SVP buoys may be upgraded with barometers by NOAA/OGP.

REACH GOAL: 1250 drifters, 5° x 5° resolution of the world’s oceans.

(All plans subject to JTA negotiations)

Details: Craig Engler’s talk

Deploy 900 Drifters in the period between October 2004 and September 2005. Up to 300 SVP buoys may be upgraded with barometers by NOAA/OGP.

REACH GOAL: 1250 drifters, 5° x 5° resolution of the world’s oceans.

(All plans subject to JTA negotiations)

Details: Craig Engler’s talk

Other 2004 GDP Activities

Scientific achievements,Technical developments.

Synthesizing different observations

Drifters: in-situ currents throughout the world(but not continuous)

Altimetry: continuous estimates of geostrophic currents along satellite passes (but not direct measurements, and mean is contaminated by geoid errors)

Winds: can be used to estimate the main ageostrophic current.

COMBINE INFORMATION!!!

Drifters: in-situ currents throughout the world(but not continuous)

Altimetry: continuous estimates of geostrophic currents along satellite passes (but not direct measurements, and mean is contaminated by geoid errors)

Winds: can be used to estimate the main ageostrophic current.

COMBINE INFORMATION!!!

Niiler, Maximenko and McWilliams, 2004

Absolute sea level, 1992-2002

Seasonal variations of the Tropical Atlantic

Drifter observations: inhomogeneous in space and time.

With seasonal changes, this can create biases when averaged in boxes.

Lumpkin and Garzoli, 2005

Monthly current anomalies in the ENSO regionSeptember 2004

Development of the “mini” drifter

Redesigned at JIMO

40% smaller componentsTransmitter: 14V 4VNewer design techniquesSAME DRAG AREA

RATIO

Cost of a drifter (approx):

2002: $21502003: $18002004: $1700

Cost of a drifter (approx):

2002: $21502003: $18002004: $1700

Measuring sea surface salinity with drifters

SVP surface

float

Microcat mounting assembly

GDP/SIO development

Additional development at WHOI (NOPP/NASA funding).

The GDP will facilitate the WHOI efforts by making SVP platforms available for testing and deployments.

This is easily accomplished via Clearwater Instruments, Inc., who builds drifters for the GDP and who is an industrial partner in this WHOI/NOPP project.

GDP/SIO development

Additional development at WHOI (NOPP/NASA funding).

The GDP will facilitate the WHOI efforts by making SVP platforms available for testing and deployments.

This is easily accomplished via Clearwater Instruments, Inc., who builds drifters for the GDP and who is an industrial partner in this WHOI/NOPP project.

SVP surface floats with Microcats installed

Deployments and recoveriesof SVP-Microcats

2000-2004: 30 SVP-Microcats deployed - Microcat attached to surface float- launched in East China Sea- two recovered: post calibration shows

no detectable shifts (<1 month)

2004-2005 plans

GDP/SIO funded to build 5 pairs of SVP-Microcats.- Pairs: one with, one without pumping.

Pairs will be launched from French Met office ships.- Location: west of France (e.g. Bay of Biscay).- Requested: sequential recoveries over next

12 months for post-calibration.

Observations of hurricanes

Thanks

Meteo-France

South African Weather Service

New Zealand Met Service

Australian Bureau of Meteorology

Fisheries Research Institute (INIDEP) and

Servicio de Hidrografía Naval, Argentina

Instituto Canario de Ciencias Marinas

(ICCM), Canary Islands

National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) and

National Institute of Ocean Technology

(NIOT), India

Scripps Institution of Oceanography

CICESE, Mexico

Voluntary Observing Ships (VOS)

International Ice Patrol (IIP)

Meteo-France

South African Weather Service

New Zealand Met Service

Australian Bureau of Meteorology

Fisheries Research Institute (INIDEP) and

Servicio de Hidrografía Naval, Argentina

Instituto Canario de Ciencias Marinas

(ICCM), Canary Islands

National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) and

National Institute of Ocean Technology

(NIOT), India

Scripps Institution of Oceanography

CICESE, Mexico

Voluntary Observing Ships (VOS)

International Ice Patrol (IIP)

United States Air Force

Oregon State University

US Naval Oceanographic Office

United States Coast Guard

INMET and Centro de

Hydrografia de Marinha,

Brasil

United Kingdom Met Office

Woods Hole Oceanographic

Institution

Raytheon Polar Services

University of Cape Town

Environment Canada

And others …

United States Air Force

Oregon State University

US Naval Oceanographic Office

United States Coast Guard

INMET and Centro de

Hydrografia de Marinha,

Brasil

United Kingdom Met Office

Woods Hole Oceanographic

Institution

Raytheon Polar Services

University of Cape Town

Environment Canada

And others …

Our appreciation to the following Operational Partners for their contributions to GDP activities

Rick Lumpkin(Rick.Lumpkin@noaa.gov)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML)

Miami, Florida USA