Oceans and Climate

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Climate Change and the Ocean IOC Beginnings
In concluding, let me say that there are two
important aspects of the world climate problem.
One is statistics, that is the average conditions
and variance. And the second is the possibility
of actually forecasting climate. We cannot
forecast it now we may never be able to forecast
it, but if we could, the results would be so
valuable that the gamble is worth taking. And I
conclude by emphasizing what I have said in the
beginning, that the World Climate Programme and
the possible role of the IOC in that programme
represents the greatest challenge and the
greatest responsibility that this body in my
experience has ever had.
Oceans and Climate
Roger Revelle
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Monitor Describe Understand - Predict To
formulate a conceptual design of a long-term,
systematic observing system to monitor, describe,
and understand the physical and biogeochemical
processes that determine ocean circulation and
the effects of the ocean on seasonal to decadal
climate changes and to provide the observations
needed for climate predictions.
Oceans and Climate
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Provides scientific and technical advice and
guidance for the common climate module of GCOS
and GOOS, and serves as a coordination mechanism
between operational observing systems and
observing systems of climate research programmes.

• Panel News
• OOPC-VII Meeting in Kiel, Germany June 5-9,
  2002
• Observing the Oceans in the 21st Century
  published December 2001, 600 pages available at
  http//www.bom.gov.au/GODAE/

Oceans and Climate
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Pilot Projects
Strategic Plan available on Web site
Implementation Plan draft available on Web site
Finalized late 2002. International En Route to
GODAE Symposium, Biarritz,France, 13-15 June
2002 Prototype products http//www.bom.gov.au/GO
DAE/godae_product_urls.htm
Oceans and Climate
http//www.bom.gov.au/GODAE
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Oceans and Climate
http//www.argo.ucsd.edu http//argo.jcommops.or
g/
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Global Ocean Time Series Observatory System (POGO
OOPC CLIVAR-OOP)
Oceans and Climate
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Other Activities
Regional workshops - November 2002, Mauritius
workshop on implementation of an observing system
to predict and model the Indian Ocean region. A
similar strategy for workshops and system
planning will be pursued for the South Atlantic
beginning in late 2002/2003. UNFCCC / GCOS
Adequacy Report 2002-2003 review and assessment
of the state of the climate observing
system. Data and Information Management a
GOOS-wide effort including OOPC, JCOMM, and IODE.
http//www.bom.gov.au/OOPC/NVODS_WS/ http//www.o
cean-it.net (coming soon) Carbon Cycle
Oceans and Climate
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Oceans and Climate
Ocean Carbon Observation Network Provides
information on global, regional, and national
ocean carbon observation activities, and promotes
coordination and data sharing.
Watching Brief Ocean Sequestration of
CO2 Provides an overview of the current
scientific and legal issues of ocean
sequestration of CO2
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• Scientific Rational
• Instruments
• Current Programs and gaps
• Technology Development

Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission A
Global Ocean Carbon Observation System A
Background Report GOOS Report No. 118 UNESCO
2002 IOC/INF No.1173
Oceans and Climate
Integrated Global Carbon Observation Theme
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Repeat Hydrography - CLIVAR and National
Programmes
Carbon SOOP - underway measurements of pCO2 and
ocean colour
Oceans and Climate
Time Series Stations - Global Ocean Time Series
Observatory System
Remote Sensing ocean colour and air-sea flux
parameters
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• Ocean Carbon Observation Information Network
• Create a central Web site to summarize current
  and planned ocean carbon cycle activities from
  international, regional, and national programs
  Information gathering and program planning
  coordination
• The CO2 Panel secretariat at IOC will host and
  maintain the site for ocean carbon. 1st draft
  site July 2002
• Possible OOPC/CO2 Panel / GOOS / GCOS ocean
  carbon pilot project under consideration.

Oceans and Climate
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NATO-Advanced Study Institute Project Ocean
Carbon Cycle and Climate
Organizers Temel Oguz (Middle East Tech. Uni.)
Mick Follows (M.I.T) Dates 5-16 August, 2002
METU, Ankara, Turkey More Information
http//puddle.mit.edu/mick/NATO-ASI/ASI.html
Oceans and Climate
International Summer School on Surface Ocean
Lower Atmosphere Study
Organizers Corinne LeQuéré (Max Planck
Institute for Biogeochemistry, Germany) Peter
Liss (University of East Anglia, UK) and
Veronique Garcon (Laboratoire d'Etudes en
Geophysique et Océanographie Spatiales,
France) Dates 30 June 11 July 2003
Universite de Corse, France More Information
http//www.bgc.mpg.de/corinne.lequere/solas/
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Public Awareness Activities
Watching Brief Ocean Carbon Sequestration
Science Concise summaries for non-specialists on
the major issues surrounding this debate and
links to more detailed information.
Oceans and Climate
Ocean Climate Indices Simple oceanographic and
meteorological observations used to describe the
nature of climate change variability to the
general public.