1.
Welcome and introduction to EOS
Working groups 1 – 4 meeting
2-4 March 2015
Liège, Belgium

2.
The Ocean

Largest heat capacity in the climate system

The ocean controls the rate of climate change

Ocean circulation patterns redistribute that
heat (to atmosphere and deep ocean)

Variability in ocean circulation determines
seasonal to decadal variability in climate.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada

3.
What is an Ocean Synthesis?
→ a comprehensive estimation of the ocean state over the last decades (mainly
temperature, salinity, sea level and currents)
→ calculated by merging hydrodynamic ocean models and all available observations
using data assimilation
Hydrodynamic model Observations
+
→ Ocean syntheses are critical to understand climate and to predict future change

4.
Applications for Ocean Syntheses

Initial conditions in hydrodynamic models:
- for operational forecasts of the ocean
- for short-term predictions (study of specific processes)
- for climate-related activities

Study of ocean-atmosphere interactions (heat balance, global water cycle)

Computation of transports across ocean basins and key straits (transport of heat)

Monitoring the ocean

Serving Copernicus downstream services
There can be:
- Different hydrodynamic models
- Different data quality procedures
- Different data assimilation approaches
- Different spatial and temporal resolution
- Global of regional coverage
many different estimates of the ocean!
Source: MyOcean2 workshop; P. Bahurel.
Essential Climate Variables data exchange
and information issues in FP7 projects. 2012

5.
Evaluation of Ocean Syntheses

A wide range of ocean syntheses exist, each created to fulfill specific objectives.

Ocean syntheses have been insufficiently evaluated – products present significant differences!

Lack of coordination between different efforts

Users of ocean syntheses do not know:
- Which specific product to use for their application
- How good this product is
- How a particular ocean synthesis differs from others
?
http://www.magerempowerment.com

6.
Evaluation of Ocean Syntheses
We need to bring together:
Experts in physical oceanography
Experts in hydrodynamic modelling
Experts in climate research
Experts in data assimilation
Experts in Earth observation
Experts in ocean synthesis and reanalysis
Experts in air-sea flux measurements
…
Research towards the improvement of ocean syntheses is being done at several
research centres, but the coordination to reach a consensus on the accuracy of
these products is missing
A COST Action is the best mechanism to ensure this coordination
This has been recognized by the WCRP (World Climate Research Programme)
through its CLIVAR (Climate Variability and Predictability) office

7.
Objectives
Main objective: establish and consolidate a network of European scientists working on
the generation and evaluation of ocean synthesis products, data providers, experts in data
assimilation and ocean modelling...
↓
- compile an inventory of end-user requirements (quality and availability of ocean syntheses)
- improve the understanding of the value and use of ocean syntheses
- issue recommendations on which data products are the most suitable for which task.
- increase awareness of ocean synthesis products among end users
Objectives aiming to take European research to the next level
- Allow young researchers to become aware of state-of-the-art techniques for the generation
and evaluation of ocean synthesis products.
- Provide a uniform framework for the evaluation of ocean syntheses within Europe (a
reference for scientists worldwide)
- Increase collaboration between European researchers. This will increase the visibility of
research performed in these areas, and will allow European research to take a more
international leading role.

8.
Reasons for the Action

There is a demand at the international level for a concerted assessment of the quality of the
various ocean syntheses available (no standard procedure for the evaluation)

It is difficult to coordinate and maintain these evaluation activities without a central
Network

Scientific activities are being financed by various projects at national and European levels
Potential Impact of the Action

Improved understanding of the role of the ocean in climate change

Improved understanding on how fit for different purposes various ocean syntheses are

Increase the value of ocean syntheses for GMES Marine core services (impact to society)

Benefit the international efforts done by WCRP to understand climate variability

Encourage scientists to use ocean syntheses

9.
End users
Scientific community (ocean, weather, climate modellers, climate researchers, oceanographers)
working in:
national research centres
operational centres (e.g. Mercator Ocean in France)
national weather services (e.g. Met Office in the UK)
climate research centres...
Public sector
Policy makers
Local authorities in coastal regions, marine safety
National environmental agencies
Private sector and other non-scientific representatives of the European society
Fisheries management authorities
Insurance companies
Commercial shipping
Offshore renewables as well as Oil and Gas
Plus all end users that will be contacted through ongoing European projects (MyOcean2,
GODAE, CLIVAR/GSOP...)

10.
European bodies and public authorities (ESA, ECMWF, EMSA, EEA)
Public institutions at national level (e.g. Puertos de Estado in Spain, meteorological
agencies...)
International bodies (CLIVAR/WCRP, Arctic Council (through the Arctic Monitoring and
Assessment Programme), IPCC, ICES)
Local authorities (e.g. large coastal city councils), private environment management
agencies...
Some partners in the consortium have an advisory mandate for a given ministry in their
member state.
Stakeholders
Involvement plan for stakeholders and end-users
- Surveys to gather feedback from end-users
- Presentation of the Action in conferences, meetings and institutions
- Contact database for newsletters and e-mail listings about the Action
- Invitation to Action meetings, final conference
- Include an “end-user” representative in the steering committee
- Organisation of a final conference / workshop aimed at end-users and stakeholders

11.
Organisation and management

WG leaders + Management Committee

An STSM manager

A responsible for gender equality and Early Stage Researcher (ESR) related questions

A webmaster

Specific organising committees (training schools, workshops, conference)

A Steering Committee (Chair, Vice-Chair, WG leaders, STSM manager, “end-user”
representative) in charge of ensuring the overall good advancement of the Action
objectives, deliverables and milestones.
Milestones:
M1: Catalogue of ocean synthesis products and independent datasets
– To be continued beyond the Action (several possibilities)
M2: Report (guidelines to intercompare ocean synthesis products)
M3: Report (impact of data discontinuity on the quality of the ocean syntheses)
M4: Report (recommendations on use of specific ocean syntheses)
M5: Workshops organized by the Action
M6: Reports from the Action workshops
M7: Proceedings of the Plenary Conference

12.
Working groups
WG 1: Preparation and harmonization of data / Karina von Schuckmann, Simona Masina
- Catalog of available ocean syntheses
- Catalog of available independent data (including SeaDataNet and EMODNet)
- Guidelines for evaluation of ocean syntheses (MyOcean2, GODAE, CLIVAR/GSOP)
- Observation impact experiments
WG 2: Evaluation of ocean syntheses / Andrea Storto, Antonio Turiel
- Quality of ocean syntheses products and intercomparison
- Impact of new satellite/in situ data sets in the quality of ocean syntheses
- Assessment of adequateness of error fields
WG3: Applications: from short-term predictability to climate studies / Gabriel Jordà, Maria Valdivieso
- Variability of ocean heat and freshwater transports
- Evaluation of Arctic and Antarctic circulation patterns and transports
- Evaluation of propagating modes in the ocean syntheses
- Near real-time monitoring of climate signals
- Characterization of the sea level variability at interannual and interdecadal scales
WG4: Downscaling issues: from global to regional syntheses / Marie Drevillon, Anna Brook
- Impact of using higher resolution
- Assessment of the optimal temporal frequency of boundary conditions
- Inter-comparison of regional and global syntheses
- Consistency between global and regional syntheses

13.

WG and MC meetings twice a year
External experts invited to attend
Held in consecutive days to maximise feedback

Short-term Scientific Missions (STSMs)
Training schools organised, possibly joining efforts with ongoing research projects
- Evaluation of ocean models, data and syntheses
- Downscaling issues for regional ocean syntheses (MyOcean2)

Workshops (3)
- Potential topics: Intercomparison of ocean syntheses, Observing system impact on
ocean syntheses, Downscaling, Polar regions, Sea level rise...
- First workshop in Fall 2015, jointly organised with CLIVAR: Ocean heat budget

Plenary conference (International Liège Colloquium 2018) on Ocean Syntheses
- Keynote speakers
- Results of the Action
- Special Issue with full-length articles
- Training school
Website: www.eos-cost.eu
Activities foreseen for the duration of the Action

14.
WWW
Time table

15.
Short-Term Scientific Missions
Scientific missions from 5 days to 3 months (6 months for ESR)
Scientists from any institution in the Action countries to any institution in the Action countries
Foreseen: 4 for 2015
Open-themed: need to pursue the Action goals
Also possibility to propose STSMs, examples
- Observation impact experiments (WG1)
- Comparison of reanalyses at in situ data locations (WG2)
Need to identify:
– Host institution
– Candidate

16.
STSM proposed topics (examples)
Observation impact experiments
Comparison of reanalyses at in situ data locations
Near real-time monitoring of climate signals (from operationally-produced syntheses)
Validation of ocean syntheses using OceanSITES data

17.
Agenda for the 2.5 days to come
Half-day WG meetings:
Monday AM: WG1: Preparation and harmonization of data
Monday PM: MC meeting
Tuesday AM: WG2: Evaluation of ocean syntheses
Tuesday PM: WG3: Applications: from short-term predictability to climate studies
Wednesday AM: WG4: Downscaling issues: from global to regional syntheses
Main objectives for this meeting
Know who's who, what research is being done
Identify areas poorly covered by participants
Identify missing key people in the Action
Establish next steps, goals ahead...
Define STSM topics / candidates

18.
http://www.eos-cost.eu
Earth System Science
and Environmental
Management
A COST Action to improve the coordination of European efforts
in the evaluation of ocean syntheses:

better understanding of the value and use of ocean syntheses

promote the use of ocean syntheses
Chairs:
Aida Alvera-Azcárate (University of Liège, BE)
Keith Haines (University of Reading, UK)
COST provides support for:
Meetings
Workshops
Training schools
Short scientific exchanges