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An Ocean Climate Research Strategy (1984) / Chapter Skim
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'THE WORLD OCEAN CIRCULATION EXPERIMENT'
Pages 20-26

The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
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From page 20...
... Recent oceanographic studies have exposed the existence of a number of processes that could be important to the ocean's role in climate variability: mesoscale eddies, tropical waves, isopycnal mixing, the seasonal variation of the mixed layer, microscale mixing in the interior of the 20
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From page 21...
... A major obstacle to obtaining observations of the ocean is the difficulty of obtaining measurements over long time scales and over great distances. But recent technical developments and new means of making measurements have made it feasible to consider carrying out a global experiment to understand the role of ocean circulation in climate.
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From page 22...
... , show mixing down to 5000 m at high latitudes in the North Atlantic within a few years. THE WOCE PROPOSAL A stated objective of WOCE is "to describe and understand quantitatively the general circulation of the ocean, in order to assess within the WCRP the sensitivity of the climate system to changes in external forcing, whether natural or anthropogenic, on time scales of decades to centuries" (CCCO-IV, 1983)
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From page 23...
... The observations needed for this list of studies include measurements of wind and wind stress, sea level, solar radiation, diffuse attenuation coefficients, and total precipitable water. Also needed are deep density sections, tracer samples, and extensive in situ temperature, salinity, and velocity measurements.
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From page 24...
... Today's sketchy WOCE plans should mature into a critical component of the climate research program. A WOCE STRATEGY FOR NSF WOCE planning has not yet begun in detail, and the documents so far prepared (CCCO-III, 1982; WOCE Design Options Study Group, 1982; CCCO-IV, 1983)
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From page 25...
... Satellite altimetry and scatterometry are essential for WOCE, for ocean climate monitoring, possibly for heat flux studies, and possibly for TOGA. NSF thus should note the vital need for an earth-orbiting satellite to provide information on surface ocean currents and the wind stress on the sea surface for future ocean and climate research.
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From page 26...
... Adding to existing secretarial activities or creating an office that is part of a secretariat (like that of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission) will likely not result in a group that is technically capable of scientific and technical planning.
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Key Terms

  • wind stress
  • heat flux
  • global ocean
  • world ocean
  • climate state

  • circulation experiment
  • climate research
  • climate variability
  • global experiment
  • ocean climate

  • woce observational
  • global oceanic
  • examine global
  • sea surface
  • surface currents

  • net surface
  • mesoscale eddies
  • generic studies
  • solar radiation
  • scales shorter

  • understand climate
  • surface ocean
  • ocean surface
  • world climate
  • understanding climate

  • future ocean
  • atmosphere climate
  • understanding global
  • woce component
  • global program


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