Sustaining Ocean Observations to Understand Future Changes in Earth's Climate (2017) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Summary
Summary
Pages 1-14
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 1... ...
Although exchange across the ocean's turbulent surface boundary layer can happen rapidly, in hours or days, and significant exchange of water between the boundary layer and the stratified main thermocline occurs over timescales of years to decades, deep water takes many decades to millennia to return to the surface, acting as long-term storage for heat and CO2 and thereby lessening the near-term impacts of climate change. Because of the long timescales governing the exchange of heat, carbon, and fresh water in the ocean, long-term observational datasets spanning many decades are required to fully document, understand, and predict the climate system, and to detect and attribute changes driven by human activities.
|
From page 2... ...
With knowledge gained through these observations and models, more informed decisions can be made about how to respond and adapt to the impacts of climate change on national security, the economy, and society. STUDY TASK AND APPROACH This study committee was charged with considering processes for identifying priority ocean observations that will improve understanding of the Earth's climate processes, and the challenges associated with sustaining these observations over long time frames (see Box S.2 for the Statement of Task)
|
From page 3... ...
The committee's report will identify challenges to maintaining long-term observations and suggest avenues for potential improvement. During the study, the committee will convene a workshop to gather expert opinions on the process for prioritizing long-term, ocean climate observations and discuss international approaches to selecting and sustaining ocean observations, as well as other top ics that are important for the design of sustainable, long-term ocean observing systems.
|
From page 4... ...
Heat Budget Ocean warming accounts for about 90 percent of the net global surface heat gain. Hence, accurate estimates of ocean heat content provide a fundamental index of the present climate system that also will be a determinant of future global surface warming as ocean circulation returns heat stored in the depths to the sea surface.
|
From page 5... ...
The ocean heat content provides estimates of rates of thermosteric sea-level rise, the rise in sea level caused by the expansion of the ocean as it absorbs increasing amounts of heat. The net fresh water input to the ocean, which increases when higher temperatures cause land ice to melt and run off into the ocean, is the other major contribution.
|
From page 6... ...
BENEFITS OF OCEAN OBSERVATIONS BEYOND CLIMATE A sustained suite of ocean climate observations will yield a better understanding of future changes in Earth's climate and also benefit many other shorter term interests of science, commerce, and human safety. Modern weather forecasting relies on the same satellites and in situ measurements used for observing the ocean for climate.
|
From page 7... ...
Its guiding document, the Framework for Ocean Observing, and the associated procedures for establishing priority observation -- the Essential Ocean Variables -- are con structive for defining ongoing requirements (precision, frequency, spatial resolution) for sustained ocean observations and provide a solid foundation for selecting and prioritizing ocean variables for sustained observing.
|
From page 8... ...
The Joint Technical Commission on Oceanography and Marine Meteorology provides coordination to both oversee and guide global ocean observing and to provide a forum for increasing observing capacity through enrollment of new nations and capacity building. Finding: Opportunities exist to increase the spatial coverage and multidis ciplinary nature of sustained ocean observations through U.S./international (either bilateral or multilateral)
|
From page 9... ...
Some philanthropic and nonprofit organizations provide funding for ocean conservation research and technological development. Finding: Raising awareness of the importance and value of sustained ocean climate observations could increase support for the observing system from multiple sectors, including philanthropic organizations.
|
From page 10... ...
Although Congress recognized the need for sustained ocean observations in the ICOOS Act, the annual budgets have not matched the costs of sustaining the current system in terms of workforce, infrastructure, and data management. The absence of an overarching long-term (e.g., 10-year)
|
From page 11... ...
Through their shared interests in the observational data and associated products, the OCP members could work together toward the goal of sustaining the ocean climate observing system. WORKFORCE CHALLENGE Much of the in situ ocean observing system is operated by academic and government research institutions and the experts they employ.
|
From page 12... ...
THE END-TO-END SYSTEM The ocean observing enterprise is an end-to-end system that not only relies on ocean climate observing scientists, but also on the development of technologies by engineers, deployment and maintenance of observing platforms from ships, and the management and application of the processed data. Finding: To avoid data gaps and ensure the required data quality and the accessibility of the data for monitoring climate over decades, ocean observ ing initiatives will need to plan for the end-to-end scope of expenses associ ated with observing programs, including appropriate logistical planning and all processing including data analysis, data management, and scientific involvement.
|
From page 13... ...
contribution to ocean observing. POTENTIAL NEW MODELS OF SUPPORT FOR SUSTAINED OCEAN OBSERVING This report identifies the many benefits of sustaining and growing the capabilities of the global ocean observing system to advance climate science and improve capabilities to anticipate changes critical for decisions on mitigating and adapting to climate change.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.