Status and Outlook for the Space Component of an Integrated Ocean Observing System

Abstract

The space component of the global ocean observing system developed and matured remarkably over the last decade. Solid progress was made towards a more coherent and internationally-coordinated satellite infrastructure through effective scientific and political advocacy and international coordination. This has allowed the design and development of a number of mature operational systems delivering systematic and robust long-term measurements, coupled with a suite of complementary scientific satellite elements that feed innovative new measurement capabilities into the observing system infrastructure. Together with the insitu system elements, these form a solid foundation for an integrated global observing system of systems of the future – to serve both research and operational interests. In spite of the relative success over the last decade, significant challenges remain for the next decade. The burgeoning expense of sustaining critical global satellite measurement data-streams dictates that tools and methods must be developed to remove redundancies, to further optimise the satellite infrastructure, and to better link complementary observing system elements. Efforts to engage involve and integrate satellite data streams of new participating space agencies, and furthering the ideal of free and open data exchange will be rewarded by product synergies and vital added-value. Meanwhile, all such efforts must be underpinned by widespread promotion and adoption of standards-based bestpractices, including rigorous data calibration and product validation, proven methods of quality control, and flagging of data quality and quantitative estimates of measurement uncertainties. The latter is of absolute importance to maximise the use of data products in model data assimilation schemes, to improve ocean state estimates and forecasting capabilities. As with numerical weather prediction, improved 3-D state estimation is a foundation for development of sustainable services and initialisation of seasonal to interannual, and climate and Earth system forecasting models.