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Oceanography in 2025 Proceedings of a Workshop (2009) / Chapter Skim
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Ocean Measurements from Space in 2025--A. Freeman
Pages 92-97

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From page 92...
... Recent advances in modeling of ocean circulation and biochemistry are now also linked to improved measurement capabilities. Since the ocean is largely opaque over much of the usable electromagnetic spectrum, ocean measurements from space are largely confined to surface properties such as SSH, SST, surface wind vectors, sea surface salinity (SSS)
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From page 93...
... Overarching science questions The scientific and practical questions that are likely to drive developments in the 2025 timeframe are: • Oceans as part of the coupled ocean-atmosphere-ice-land biogeochemical system   ost current ocean models that assimilate data are presently –M run in ‘forced' mode; they do not affect the atmosphere. Most atmospheric models that assimilate data use an overly sim plified representation of the oceans (a mixed layer)
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From page 94...
... Technological advances The kind of technology advances that will enable the improvements in ocean measurements from space described above include: • Miniaturized, more efficient radar components to reduce mass/ power needs of radar electronics • Efficient, high-power transmitters at shorter wavelengths (espe cially Ku- and Ka-Band) • Increased onboard processing and/or downlink capability, allow ing data acquisition at higher spatial and temporal resolution.
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From page 95...
... Gravity 400 km spatial scales; monthly Improved precision; 400 km Improved precision; <400 km updates (GRACE) spatial scales; monthly updates spatial scales; weekly updates (GRACE II + GOCE)
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From page 96...
... ; DT < 0.1 K Ocean Color/ < 1 km spatial scales; 1 day < 1km spatial; <1 day revisit .1–1 km spatial scales; 15 min Biogeochem revisit (CZCS/Seawifs/ (VIIRS on NPOESS) revisit globally (GEO network)
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From page 97...
... and lasers at the blue end of the visible spectrum to measure mixed layer depth, as input to biochemical models. • Increased computational power will allow more complex coupled models to be run at higher resolutions, and data assimilative models to assimilate data.
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Key Terms

  • day revisit
  • sea surface
  • ocean measurements
  • ocean models
  • time scale

  • surface currents
  • earth science
  • surface temperature
  • day time
  • surface salinity

  • ocean color
  • surface height
  • sea ice
  • improved precision
  • ice thickness

  • weekly updates
  • science questions
  • decadal survey
  • assimilate data
  • national imperatives

  • jet propulsion
  • ssh spatial
  • climate models
  • mixed layer
  • vector winds

  • data acquisition
  • global ocean
  • numerical ocean
  • updates spatial
  • monthly updates


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