ALBERT

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2020. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Climate 33(9), (2020): 3845-3862, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-19-0215.1.

Description: The latitudinal structure of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) variability in the North Atlantic is investigated using numerical results from three ocean circulation simulations over the past four to five decades. We show that AMOC variability south of the Labrador Sea (53°N) to 25°N can be decomposed into a latitudinally coherent component and a gyre-opposing component. The latitudinally coherent component contains both decadal and interannual variabilities. The coherent decadal AMOC variability originates in the subpolar region and is reflected by the zonal density gradient in that basin. It is further shown to be linked to persistent North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) conditions in all three models. The interannual AMOC variability contained in the latitudinally coherent component is shown to be driven by westerlies in the transition region between the subpolar and the subtropical gyre (40°–50°N), through significant responses in Ekman transport. Finally, the gyre-opposing component principally varies on interannual time scales and responds to local wind variability related to the annual NAO. The contribution of these components to the total AMOC variability is latitude-dependent: 1) in the subpolar region, all models show that the latitudinally coherent component dominates AMOC variability on interannual to decadal time scales, with little contribution from the gyre-opposing component, and 2) in the subtropical region, the gyre-opposing component explains a majority of the interannual AMOC variability in two models, while in the other model, the contributions from the coherent and the gyre-opposing components are comparable. These results provide a quantitative decomposition of AMOC variability across latitudes and shed light on the linkage between different AMOC variability components and atmospheric forcing mechanisms.

Description: The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the Physical Oceanography Program of the U.S. National Science Foundation (Awards OCE-1756143 and OCE-1537136) and the Climate Program Office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Award NA15OAR4310088). Gratitude is extended to Claus Böning and Arne Biastoch who shared ORCA025 output. S. Zou thanks F. Li, M. Buckley, and L. Li for helpful discussions. We also thank three anonymous reviewers for helpful suggestions.

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2020. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Hahn, L. C., Storelvmo, T., Hofer, S., Parfitt, R., & Ummenhofer, C. C. Importance of Orography for Greenland cloud and melt response to atmospheric blocking. Journal of Climate, 33(10), (2020): 4187-4206, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-19-0527.1.

Description: More frequent high pressure conditions associated with atmospheric blocking episodes over Greenland in recent decades have been suggested to enhance melt through large-scale subsidence and cloud dissipation, which allows more solar radiation to reach the ice sheet surface. Here we investigate mechanisms linking high pressure circulation anomalies to Greenland cloud changes and resulting cloud radiative effects, with a focus on the previously neglected role of topography. Using reanalysis and satellite data in addition to a regional climate model, we show that anticyclonic circulation anomalies over Greenland during recent extreme blocking summers produce cloud changes dependent on orographic lift and descent. The resulting increased cloud cover over northern Greenland promotes surface longwave warming, while reduced cloud cover in southern and marginal Greenland favors surface shortwave warming. Comparison with an idealized model simulation with flattened topography reveals that orographic effects were necessary to produce area-averaged decreasing cloud cover since the mid-1990s and the extreme melt observed in the summer of 2012. This demonstrates a key role for Greenland topography in mediating the cloud and melt response to large-scale circulation variability. These results suggest that future melt will depend on the pattern of circulation anomalies as well as the shape of the Greenland Ice Sheet.

Description: This research was supported by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Summer Student Fellow program, by the U.S. National Science Foundation under AGS-1355339 to C.C.U., and by the European Research Council through Grant 758005.

Description: To examine the atmospheric responses to Arctic sea ice variability in the Northern Hemisphere cold season (from October to the following March), this study uses a coordinated set of large-ensemble experiments of nine atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs) forced with observed daily varying sea ice, sea surface temperature, and radiative forcings prescribed during the 1979–2014 period, together with a parallel set of experiments where Arctic sea ice is substituted by its climatology. The simulations of the former set reproduce the near-surface temperature trends in reanalysis data, with similar amplitude, and their multimodel ensemble mean (MMEM) shows decreasing sea level pressure over much of the polar cap and Eurasia in boreal autumn. The MMEM difference between the two experiments allows isolating the effects of Arctic sea ice loss, which explain a large portion of the Arctic warming trends in the lower troposphere and drive a small but statistically significant weakening of the wintertime Arctic Oscillation. The observed interannual covariability between sea ice extent in the Barents–Kara Seas and lagged atmospheric circulation is distinguished from the effects of confounding factors based on multiple regression, and quantitatively compared to the covariability in MMEMs. The interannual sea ice decline followed by a negative North Atlantic Oscillation–like anomaly found in observations is also seen in the MMEM differences, with consistent spatial structure but much smaller amplitude. This result suggests that the sea ice impacts on trends and interannual atmospheric variability simulated by AGCMs could be underestimated, but caution is needed because internal atmospheric variability may have affected the observed relationship.

Description: Published

Description: 8419–8443

Description: 2A. Fisica dell'alta atmosfera

Description: JCR Journal

Description: The influence of the Atlantic multidecadal variability (AMV) on the North Atlantic storm track and eddy-driven jet in the winter season is assessed via a coordinated analysis of idealized simulations with state-of-the-art coupled models. Data used are obtained from a multimodel ensemble of AMV± experiments conducted in the framework of the Decadal Climate Prediction Project component C. These experiments are performed by nudging the surface of the Atlantic Ocean to states defined by the superimposition of observed AMV± anomalies onto the model climatology. A robust extratropical response is found in the form of a wave train extending from the Pacific to the Nordic seas. In the warm phase of the AMV compared to the cold phase, the Atlantic storm track is typically contracted and less extended poleward and the low-level jet is shifted toward the equator in the eastern Atlantic. Despite some robust features, the picture of an uncertain and model-dependent response of the Atlantic jet emerges and we demonstrate a link between model bias and the character of the jet response.

Description: Published

Description: 347-360

Description: 4A. Oceanografia e clima

Description: JCR Journal

Description: Part I - Programme Issues A. Participation of UNESCO in the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH) B. Sustainable Tourism Management Assessment Tool – Outcomes of the Pilot Phase C. Conclusions of the assessment of the Youth Forum of the 39th session of the General Conference D. Follow-up of the situation in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Ukraine) E. Plan of action to strengthen UNESCO’s cooperation: Together for Haiti F. Recent decisions and activities of the organizations of the United Nations system of relevance to the work of UNESCO Part II - Management Issues A. Sustainability of the field network B. Resource Mobilization Strategy and Annual Structured Financing Dialogue C. UNESCO Security and Safety Action Plan D. Report on the implementation of Invest for Efficient Delivery E. Cost recovery policy: Revised Proposal for a differential rate policy for Management Cost Rates Part III - Human Resources Issues Report on the geographical distribution and gender balance of the staff of the Secretariat and progress on the implementation of the measures taken to redress any imbalance A. Report on geographical distribution and gender balance of the staff of the Secretariat, and progress on the implementation of the measures taken to redress any imbalance B. Progress report on the Strategic Framework for Human Resource Partnerships C. Annual report (2017) by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC): Report by the Director-General

Description: OPENASFA INPUT

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2022. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 103(6), (2022): E1502-E1521, https://doi.org/10.1175/bams-d-21-0227.1.

Description: Climate observations inform about the past and present state of the climate system. They underpin climate science, feed into policies for adaptation and mitigation, and increase awareness of the impacts of climate change. The Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), a body of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), assesses the maturity of the required observing system and gives guidance for its development. The Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) are central to GCOS, and the global community must monitor them with the highest standards in the form of Climate Data Records (CDR). Today, a single ECV—the sea ice ECV—encapsulates all aspects of the sea ice environment. In the early 1990s it was a single variable (sea ice concentration) but is today an umbrella for four variables (adding thickness, edge/extent, and drift). In this contribution, we argue that GCOS should from now on consider a set of seven ECVs (sea ice concentration, thickness, snow depth, surface temperature, surface albedo, age, and drift). These seven ECVs are critical and cost effective to monitor with existing satellite Earth observation capability. We advise against placing these new variables under the umbrella of the single sea ice ECV. To start a set of distinct ECVs is indeed critical to avoid adding to the suboptimal situation we experience today and to reconcile the sea ice variables with the practice in other ECV domains.

Description: PH’s contribution was funded under the Australian Government’s Antarctic Science Collaboration Initiative program, and contributes to Project 6 of the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership (ASCI000002). PH acknowledges support through the Australian Antarctic Science Projects 4496 and 4506, and the International Space Science Institute (Bern, Switzerland) project #405.

Description: 2022-12-01

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2022. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 52(6), (2022): 1233-1244, https://doi.org/10.1175/jpo-d-21-0223.1.

Description: The Sverdrup relation is the backbone of wind-driven circulation theory; it is a simple relation between the meridional transport of the wind-driven circulation in the upper ocean and the wind stress curl. However, the relation is valid for steady circulation only. In this study, a time-dependent Sverdrup relation is postulated, in which the meridional transport in a time-dependent circulation is the sum of the local wind stress curl term and a time-delayed term representing the effect of the eastern boundary condition. As an example, this time-dependent Sverdrup relation is evaluated through its application to the equatorial circulation in the Indian Ocean, using reanalysis data and a reduced gravity model. Close examination reveals that the southward Somali Current occurring during boreal winter is due to the combination of the local wind stress curl in the Arabian Sea and delayed signals representing the time change of layer thickness at the eastern boundary.

Description: This work is supported by NSFC (41822602, 41976016, 42005035, 42076021), the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB42000000, XDA 20060502), Key Special Project for Introduced Talents Team of Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou) (GML2019ZD0306), Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (2021A1515011534), Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS, ISEE2021ZD01, and LTOZZ2002. The numerical simulation is supported by the High-Performance Computing Division in the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology.

Description: 2022-11-27

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2022. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 52(7), (2022): 1333-1350, https://doi.org/10.1175/jpo-d-21-0298.1.

Description: Idealized numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the influence of channel curvature on estuarine stratification and mixing. Stratification is decreased and tidal energy dissipation is increased in sinuous estuaries compared to straight channel estuaries. We applied a vertical salinity variance budget to quantify the influence of straining and mixing on stratification. Secondary circulation due to the channel curvature is found to affect stratification in sinuous channels through both lateral straining and enhanced vertical mixing. Alternating negative and positive lateral straining occur in meanders upstream and downstream of the bend apex, respectively, corresponding to the normal and reversed secondary circulation with curvature. The vertical mixing is locally enhanced in curved channels with the maximum mixing located upstream of the bend apex. Bend-scale bottom salinity fronts are generated near the inner bank upstream of the bend apex as a result of interaction between the secondary flow and stratification. Shear mixing at bottom fronts, instead of overturning mixing by the secondary circulation, provides the dominant mechanism for destruction of stratification. Channel curvature can also lead to increased drag, and using a Simpson number with this increased drag coefficient can relate the decrease in stratification with curvature to the broader estuarine parameter space.

Description: The research leading to these results was funded by NSF Awards OCE-1634481 and OCE-2123002.

Description: 2022-12-09

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2022. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 52(7), (2022): 1415–1430. https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-21-0147.1.

Description: Strong subinertial variability near a seamount at the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea was revealed by mooring observations from January 2017 to January 2018. The intraseasonal deep flows presented two significant frequency bands, with periods of 9–20 and 30–120 days, corresponding to topographic Rossby waves (TRWs) and deep eddies, respectively. The TRW and deep eddy signals explained approximately 60% of the kinetic energy of the deep subinertial currents. The TRWs at the Ma, Mb, and Mc moorings had 297, 262, and 274 m vertical trapping lengths, and ∼43, 38, and 55 km wavelengths, respectively. Deep eddies were independent from the upper layer, with the largest temperature anomaly being 〉0.4°C. The generation of the TRWs was induced by mesoscale perturbations in the upper layer. The interaction between the cyclonic–anticyclonic eddy pair and the seamount topography contributed to the generation of deep eddies. Owing to the potential vorticity conservation, the westward-propagating tilted interface across the eddy pair squeezed the deep-water column, thereby giving rise to negative vorticity west of the seamount. The strong front between the eddy pair induced a northward deep flow, thereby generating a strong horizontal velocity shear because of lateral friction and enhanced negative vorticity. Approximately 4 years of observations further confirmed the high occurrence of TRWs and deep eddies. TRWs and deep eddies might be crucial for deep mixing near rough topographies by transferring mesoscale energy to small scales.

Description: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (92158204, 91958202, 42076019, 41776036, 91858203), the Open Project Program of State Key Laboratory of Tropical Oceanography (project LTOZZ2001), and Key Special Project for Introduced Talents Team of Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou) (GML2019ZD0304).

Description: 2022-12-16

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2022. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 52(12), (2022): 2923–2933, https://doi.org/10.1175/jpo-d-22-0064.1.

Description: The characteristics and dynamics of depth-average along-shelf currents at monthly and longer time scales are examined using 17 years of observations from the Martha’s Vineyard Coastal Observatory on the southern New England inner shelf. Monthly averages of the depth-averaged along-shelf current are almost always westward, with the largest interannual variability in winter. There is a consistent annual cycle with westward currents of 5 cm s−1 in summer decreasing to 1–2 cm s−1 in winter. Both the annual cycle and interannual variability in the depth-average along-shelf current are predominantly driven by the along-shelf wind stress. In the absence of wind forcing, there is a westward flow of ∼5 cm s−1 throughout the year. At monthly time scales, the depth-average along-shelf momentum balance is primarily between the wind stress, surface gravity wave–enhanced bottom stress, and an opposing pressure gradient that sets up along the southern New England shelf in response to the wind. Surface gravity wave enhancement of bottom stress is substantial over the inner shelf and is essential to accurately estimating the bottom stress variation across the inner shelf.

Description: The National Science Foundation, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, and the Office of Naval Research have supported the construction and maintenance of MVCO. The analysis presented here was partially funded by the National Science Foundation under Grants OCE 1558874 and OCE 1655686.

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2022. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 52(12), (2022): 2909-2921, https://doi.org/10.1175/jpo-d-22-0063.1.

Description: A remarkably consistent Lagrangian upwelling circulation at monthly and longer time scales is observed in a 17-yr time series of current profiles in 12 m of water on the southern New England inner shelf. The upwelling circulation is strongest in summer, with a current magnitude of ∼1 cm s−1, which flushes the inner shelf in ∼2.5 days. The average winter upwelling circulation is about one-half of the average summer upwelling circulation, but with larger month-to-month variations driven, in part, by cross-shelf wind stresses. The persistent upwelling circulation is not wind-driven; it is driven by a cross-shelf buoyancy force associated with less-dense water near the coast. The cross-shelf density gradient is primarily due to temperature in summer, when strong surface heating warms shallower nearshore water more than deeper offshore water, and to salinity in winter, caused by fresher water near the coast. In the absence of turbulent stresses, the cross-shelf density gradient would be in a geostrophic, thermal-wind balance with the vertical shear in the along-shelf current. However, turbulent stresses over the inner shelf attributable to strong tidal currents and wind stress cause a partial breakdown of the thermal-wind balance that releases the buoyancy force, which drives the observed upwelling circulation. The presence of a cross-shelf density gradient has a profound impact on exchange across this inner shelf. Many inner shelves are characterized by turbulent stresses and cross-shelf density gradients with lighter water near the coast, suggesting turbulent thermal-wind-driven coastal upwelling may be a broadly important cross-shelf exchange mechanism.

Description: The National Science Foundation, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, and the Office of Naval Research have supported the construction and maintenance of MVCO. The analysis presented here was partially funded by the National Science Foundation under Grants OCE 1558874 and OCE 1655686.

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2022. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 52(6),(2022): 1191-1204, https://doi.org/10.1175/jpo-d-21-0242.1.

Description: A simplified quasigeostrophic (QG) analytical model together with an idealized numerical model are used to study the effect of uneven ice–ocean stress on the temporal evolution of the geostrophic current under sea ice. The tendency of the geostrophic velocity in the QG model is given as a function of the lateral gradient of vertical velocity and is further related to the ice–ocean stress with consideration of a surface boundary layer. Combining the analytical and numerical solutions, we demonstrate that the uneven stress between the ice and an initially surface-intensified, laterally sheared geostrophic current can drive an overturning circulation to trigger the displacement of isopycnals and modify the vertical structure of the geostrophic velocity. When the near-surface isopycnals become tilted in the opposite direction to the deeper ones, a subsurface velocity core is generated (via geostrophic setup). This mechanism should help understand the formation of subsurface currents in the edge of Chukchi and Beaufort Seas seen in observations. Furthermore, our solutions reveal a reversed flow extending from the bottom to the middepth, suggesting that the ice-induced overturning circulation potentially influences the currents in the deep layers of the Arctic Ocean, such as the Atlantic Water boundary current.

Description: This work was funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant 2017YFA0604600), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant 41676019), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant 2019B81214), the Postgraduate Research and Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province (Grant KYCX19_0384), and the National Science Foundation (MAS, Grants OPP-1822334, OCE-2122633).

Description: The general public is not aware of the full extent of the medical, economic, social, political and environmental importance of the sea. Many of us are not aware that our day-to-day actions can have a cumulative effect on the health of the ocean and seas – a necessary resource that must be protected for all life on planet earth to exist. In other words, people lack a sense of ‘Ocean Literacy’ i.e. an understanding of the ocean’s influence on us and our influence on the ocean.

Description: OpenASFA input

Description: Published

Description: Refereed

Description: Nature-based solutions (NBS) are inspired and supported by nature and use, or mimic, natural processes to contribute to the improved management of water. An NBS can involve conserving or rehabilitating natural ecosystems and/or the enhancement or creation of natural processes in modified or artificial ecosystems. They can be applied at micro- (e.g. a dry toilet) or macro- (e.g. landscape) scales. Attention to NBS has significantly increased in recent years. This is evidenced through the mainstreaming of NBS into a wide range of policy advances, including in water resources, food security and agriculture, biodiversity, environment, disaster risk reduction, urban settlements, and climate change. This welcome trend illustrates a growing convergence of interests around the recognition of the need for common objectives and the identification of mutually supporting actions – as illustrated best in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through its acknowledgment of the interdependency of its various Goals and targets. Upscaling NBS will be central to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Sustainable water security will not be achieved through business-as-usual approaches. NBS work with nature instead of against it, and thereby provide an essential means to move beyond business-as-usual to escalate social, economic and hydrological efficiency gains in water resources management. NBS show particular promise in achieving progress towards sustainable food production, improved human settlements, access to water supply and sanitation services, and water-related disaster risk reduction. They can also help to respond to the impacts of climate change on water resources.

Description: Governement of Italy

Description: Regione Umbria

Description: Published

Description: Refereed

Description: The Training Course on Oceanographic Data Management has been organized every year since 1982 at the Japan Oceanographic Data Center (JODC), in support of the activities of IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC). The thirteenth training course was organized by JODC under the auspices of IOC from 26 September to 7 October 1994, at JODC, Hydrographic Department, Maritime Safety Agency, Tokyo, Japan. The objectives of the training course were to provide personnel currently involved in oceanographic data and information management from Member States of the WESTPAC region with basic concepts of the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) system and its function, especially in the WESTPAC region, and acquisition, procession and compilation of oceanographic data.

Description: Published

Description: Refereed

Description: This report summarizes the events of the Fourth POEM (Physical Oceanography of the Eastern Mediterranean) Scientific Workshop, held in Venice, Italy, at the Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti, from 27 August to 1 September, 1990. During this workshop, the scientific plan for the second phase of POEM (POEM-BC) was designed; it includes biological and chemical components. POEM-BC began in 1991 and comprises: (i) two general hydrographic surveys with chemical and biological studies; (ii) intensive field experiments focussing on process studies of the formation, dispersion and spreading of the LIW (Levantine Intermediate Water) in the Levantine Basin and of Deep Water in the Ionian Sea; (iii) a field experiment for biogeochemical fluxes studies. The field activity of POEM-BC is projected over a five year period.

Description: OpenASFA input

Description: Published

Description: Refereed

Description: Virtually every coastal country in the world is affected by harmful algal blooms (HABs, commonly called “red tides”). This diverse array of phenomena includes blooms of toxic, microscopic algae that lead to illness and death in humans, fish, seabirds, marine mammals, and other oceanic life. There are also non-toxic HABs that cause damage to ecosystems, fisheries resources, and recreational facilities, often due to the sheer biomass of the accumulated algae. The term “HAB” also applies to non-toxic macroalgae (seaweeds), which can cause major ecological impacts such as the displacement of indigenous species, habitat alteration and oxygen depletion in bottom waters. The frequency, spatial extent, and economic impact of HABs have all expanded in recent decades, in parallel with, and sometimes a result of, the world’s increasing exploitation on the coastal zone for shelter, food, recreation, and commerce. HABs are complex oceanographic phenomena that require multidisciplinary study ranging from molecular and cell biology to large-scale field surveys, numerical modelling, and remote sensing from space. Multi-lateral international programmes and bilateral initiatives are bringing scientists together from different countries and disciplines in a concerted attack on this complex and multi-faceted issue. Our understanding of these phenomena is increasing dramatically, and with this understanding come technologies and management tools that can reduce HAB incidence and impact. More effective HAB management is sure to be one major outcome of the growing investment in the Global Ocean Observing System. HABs will always be with us, and in the next few decades at least, are likely to continue to expand in geographic extent and frequency. Nevertheless, scientifically based management should permit full exploitation of fisheries, recreational, and commercial resources, despite the recurrent and diverse threat that HABs pose. This series of lectures is dedicated to the memory of the noted Danish oceanographer and first chairman of the Commission, Dr Anton Frederick Bruun. The "Anton Bruun Memorial Lectures" were established in accordance with Resolution 19 of the Sixth Session of the IOC Assembly, in which the Commission proposed that important inter-session developments be summarized by speakers in the fields of solid earth studies, physical and chemical oceanography and meteorology, and marine biology.

Description: Published

Description: Refereed

Description: Water is the lifeblood of ecosystems, vital to human health and well-being and a precondition for economic prosperity. That is why it is at the very core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, has strong links to all of the other SDGs. In this series of progress reports under the UN-Water Integrated Monitoring Initiative for SDG 6, we evaluate progress towards this vital goal. The United Nations organizations are working together to help countries monitor water and sanitation across sectors and compile data so that we can report on global progress. SDG 6 expands the Millennium Development Goal focus on drinking water and basic sanitation to include the management of water and wastewater and ecosystems, across boundaries of all kinds. Bringing these aspects together is an essential first step towards breaking down sector fragmentation and enabling coherent and sustainable management, and hence towards a future where water use is sustainable. This report is part of a series that track progress towards the various targets set out in SDG 6 using the SDG global indicators. The reports are based on country data, compiled and verified by the responsible United Nations organizations, and sometimes complemented by data from other sources. The main beneficiaries of better data are countries. The 2030 Agenda specifies that global follow-up and review “will be primarily based on national official data sources”, so we sorely need stronger national statistical systems. This will involve developing technical and institutional capacity and infrastructure for more effective monitoring.

Description: Governments of Austria, Italy, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland

Description: OpenASFA INPUT; 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 6.

Description: Published

Description: Refereed

Description: © The Author(s), 2019. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Renfrew, I. A., Pickart, R. S., Vage, K., Moore, G. W. K., Bracegirdle, T. J., Elvidge, A. D., Jeansson, E., Lachlan-Cope, T., McRaven, L. T., Papritz, L., Reuder, J., Sodemann, H., Terpstra, A., Waterman, S., Valdimarsson, H., Weiss, A., Almansi, M., Bahr, F., Brakstad, A., Barrell, C., Brooke, J. K., Brooks, B. J., Brooks, I. M., Brooks, M. E., Bruvik, E. M., Duscha, C., Fer, I., Golid, H. M., Hallerstig, M., Hessevik, I., Huang, J., Houghton, L., Jonsson, S., Jonassen, M., Jackson, K., Kvalsund, K., Kolstad, E. W., Konstali, K., Kristiansen, J., Ladkin, R., Lin, P., Macrander, A., Mitchell, A., Olafsson, H., Pacini, A., Payne, C., Palmason, B., Perez-Hernandez, M. D., Peterson, A. K., Petersen, G. N., Pisareva, M. N., Pope, J. O., Seidl, A., Semper, S., Sergeev, D., Skjelsvik, S., Soiland, H., Smith, D., Spall, M. A., Spengler, T., Touzeau, A., Tupper, G., Weng, Y., Williams, K. D., Yang, X., & Zhou, S. The Iceland Greenland Seas Project. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 100(9), (2019): 1795-1817, doi:10.1175/BAMS-D-18-0217.1.

Description: The Iceland Greenland Seas Project (IGP) is a coordinated atmosphere–ocean research program investigating climate processes in the source region of the densest waters of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. During February and March 2018, a field campaign was executed over the Iceland and southern Greenland Seas that utilized a range of observing platforms to investigate critical processes in the region, including a research vessel, a research aircraft, moorings, sea gliders, floats, and a meteorological buoy. A remarkable feature of the field campaign was the highly coordinated deployment of the observing platforms, whereby the research vessel and aircraft tracks were planned in concert to allow simultaneous sampling of the atmosphere, the ocean, and their interactions. This joint planning was supported by tailor-made convection-permitting weather forecasts and novel diagnostics from an ensemble prediction system. The scientific aims of the IGP are to characterize the atmospheric forcing and the ocean response of coupled processes; in particular, cold-air outbreaks in the vicinity of the marginal ice zone and their triggering of oceanic heat loss, and the role of freshwater in the generation of dense water masses. The campaign observed the life cycle of a long-lasting cold-air outbreak over the Iceland Sea and the development of a cold-air outbreak over the Greenland Sea. Repeated profiling revealed the immediate impact on the ocean, while a comprehensive hydrographic survey provided a rare picture of these subpolar seas in winter. A joint atmosphere–ocean approach is also being used in the analysis phase, with coupled observational analysis and coordinated numerical modeling activities underway.

Description: The IGP has received funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation: Grant OCE-1558742; the U.K.’s Natural Environment Research Council: AFIS (NE/N009754/1); the Research Council of Norway: MOCN (231647), VENTILATE (229791), SNOWPACE (262710) and FARLAB (245907); and the Bergen Research Foundation (BFS2016REK01). We thank all those involved in the field work associated with the IGP, particularly the officers and crew of the Alliance, and the operations staff of the aircraft campaign.

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2019. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 49(12), (2019): 3127-3143, doi: 10.1175/JPO-D-19-0011.1.

Description: The Intermediate Western Boundary Current (IWBC) transports Antarctic Intermediate Water across the Vitória–Trindade Ridge (VTR), a seamount chain at ~20°S off Brazil. Recent studies suggest that the IWBC develops a strong cyclonic recirculation in Tubarão Bight, upstream of the VTR, with weak time dependency. We herein use new quasi-synoptic observations, data from the Argo array, and a regional numerical model to describe the structure and variability of the IWBC and to investigate its dynamics. Both shipboard acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) data and trajectories of Argo floats confirm the existence of the IWBC recirculation, which is also captured by our Regional Oceanic Modeling System (ROMS) simulation. An “intermediate-layer” quasigeostrophic (QG) model indicates that the ROMS time-mean flow is a good proxy for the IWBC steady state, as revealed by largely parallel isolines of streamfunction ψ⎯ and potential vorticity Q⎯; a ψ⎯−Q⎯ scatter diagram also shows that the IWBC is potentially unstable. Further analysis of the ROMS simulation reveals that remotely generated, westward-propagating nonlinear eddies are the main source of variability in the region. These eddies enter the domain through the Tubarão Bight eastern edge and strongly interact with the IWBC. As they are advected downstream and negotiate the local topography, the eddies grow explosively through horizontal shear production.

Description: We thank Frank O. Smith for copy editing and proofreading this manuscript. This study was financed in part by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—CAPES, Brazil—Finance Code 001 and by Projeto REMARSUL (Processo CAPES 88882.158621/2014-01), Projeto VT-Dyn (Processo FAPESP 2015/21729-4) and Projeto SUBMESO (Processo CNPq 442926/2015-4). Rocha was supported by a WHOI Postdoctoral Scholarship.

Description: 2020-06-06

Description: © The Author(s), 2019. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Kwon, Y., Seo, H., Ummenhofer, C. C., & Joyce, T. M. Impact of multidecadal variability in Atlantic SST on winter atmospheric blocking. Journal of Climate, 33(3), (2020): 867-892, doi: 10.1175/JCLI-D-19-0324.1.

Description: Recent studies have suggested that coherent multidecadal variability exists between North Atlantic atmospheric blocking frequency and the Atlantic multidecadal variability (AMV). However, the role of AMV in modulating blocking variability on multidecadal times scales is not fully understood. This study examines this issue primarily using the NOAA Twentieth Century Reanalysis for 1901–2010. The second mode of the empirical orthogonal function for winter (December–March) atmospheric blocking variability in the North Atlantic exhibits oppositely signed anomalies of blocking frequency over Greenland and the Azores. Furthermore, its principal component time series shows a dominant multidecadal variability lagging AMV by several years. Composite analyses show that this lag is due to the slow evolution of the AMV sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies, which is likely driven by the ocean circulation. Following the warm phase of AMV, the warm SST anomalies emerge in the western subpolar gyre over 3–7 years. The ocean–atmosphere interaction over these 3–7-yr periods is characterized by the damping of the warm SST anomalies by the surface heat flux anomalies, which in turn reduce the overall meridional gradient of the air temperature and thus weaken the meridional transient eddy heat flux in the lower troposphere. The anomalous transient eddy forcing then shifts the eddy-driven jet equatorward, resulting in enhanced Rossby wave breaking and blocking on the northern flank of the jet over Greenland. The opposite is true with the AMV cold phases but with much shorter lags, as the evolution of SST anomalies differs in the warm and cold phases.

Description: We gratefully acknowledge support from the NSF Climate and Large-scale Dynamics Program (AGS-1355339) to Y-OK, HS, CCU, and TMJ, the NASA Physical Oceanography Program (NNX13AM59G) to Y-OK, HS, and TMJ, NOAA CPO Climate Variability and Predictability Program (NA13OAR4310139) and DOE CESD Regional and Global Model Analysis Program (DE-SC0019492) to Y-OK, and NSF Physical Oceanography Program (OCE-1419235) to HS. We are very grateful to the three anonymous reviewers and editor Dr. Mingfang Ting, for their thorough and insightful suggestions. The NOAA 20CR dataset was downloaded from the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory Physical Science Division webpage (https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/data/20thC_Rean/). Support for the 20CR Project version 2c dataset is provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science Biological and Environmental Research (BER), and by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Program Office. The HadISST dataset was downloaded from the U.K. Met Office Hadley Centre webpage (https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadisst/). The ERA-20C dataset was downloaded from the ECMWF webpage (https://apps.ecmwf.int/datasets/data/era20c-daily/). The ERSST5 dataset was provided by the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory Physical Science Division (https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/data/gridded/data.noaa.ersst.v5.html).

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2020. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 50(2), (2020): 415-437, doi:10.1175/JPO-D-19-0019.1.

Description: Results are presented from two dye release experiments conducted in the seasonal thermocline of the Sargasso Sea, one in a region of low horizontal strain rate (~10−6 s−1), the second in a region of intermediate horizontal strain rate (~10−5 s−1). Both experiments lasted ~6 days, covering spatial scales of 1–10 and 1–50 km for the low and intermediate strain rate regimes, respectively. Diapycnal diffusivities estimated from the two experiments were κz = (2–5) × 10−6 m2 s−1, while isopycnal diffusivities were κH = (0.2–3) m2 s−1, with the range in κH being less a reflection of site-to-site variability, and more due to uncertainties in the background strain rate acting on the patch combined with uncertain time dependence. The Site I (low strain) experiment exhibited minimal stretching, elongating to approximately 10 km over 6 days while maintaining a width of ~5 km, and with a notable vertical tilt in the meridional direction. By contrast, the Site II (intermediate strain) experiment exhibited significant stretching, elongating to more than 50 km in length and advecting more than 150 km while still maintaining a width of order 3–5 km. Early surveys from both experiments showed patchy distributions indicative of small-scale stirring at scales of order a few hundred meters. Later surveys show relatively smooth, coherent distributions with only occasional patchiness, suggestive of a diffusive rather than stirring process at the scales of the now larger patches. Together the two experiments provide important clues as to the rates and underlying processes driving diapycnal and isopycnal mixing at these scales.

Description: Results are presented from two dye release experiments conducted in the seasonal thermocline of the Sargasso Sea, one in a region of low horizontal strain rate (~10−6 s−1), the second in a region of intermediate horizontal strain rate (~10−5 s−1). Both experiments lasted ~6 days, covering spatial scales of 1–10 and 1–50 km for the low and intermediate strain rate regimes, respectively. Diapycnal diffusivities estimated from the two experiments were κz = (2–5) × 10−6 m2 s−1, while isopycnal diffusivities were κH = (0.2–3) m2 s−1, with the range in κH being less a reflection of site-to-site variability, and more due to uncertainties in the background strain rate acting on the patch combined with uncertain time dependence. The Site I (low strain) experiment exhibited minimal stretching, elongating to approximately 10 km over 6 days while maintaining a width of ~5 km, and with a notable vertical tilt in the meridional direction. By contrast, the Site II (intermediate strain) experiment exhibited significant stretching, elongating to more than 50 km in length and advecting more than 150 km while still maintaining a width of order 3–5 km. Early surveys from both experiments showed patchy distributions indicative of small-scale stirring at scales of order a few hundred meters. Later surveys show relatively smooth, coherent distributions with only occasional patchiness, suggestive of a diffusive rather than stirring process at the scales of the now larger patches. Together the two experiments provide important clues as to the rates and underlying processes driving diapycnal and isopycnal mixing at these scales.

Description: 2020-08-06

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2020. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of the Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology 37(5), (2020): 789-806, doi:10.1175/JTECH-D-18-0244.1.

Description: Realistic ocean state prediction and its validation rely on the availability of high quality in situ observations. To detect data errors, adequate quality check procedures must be designed. This paper presents procedures that take advantage of the ever-growing observation databases that provide climatological knowledge of the ocean variability in the neighborhood of an observation location. Local validity intervals are used to estimate binarily whether the observed values are considered as good or erroneous. Whereas a classical approach estimates validity bounds from first- and second-order moments of the climatological parameter distribution, that is, mean and variance, this work proposes to infer them directly from minimum and maximum observed values. Such an approach avoids any assumption of the parameter distribution such as unimodality, symmetry around the mean, peakedness, or homogeneous distribution tail height relative to distribution peak. To reach adequate statistical robustness, an extensive manual quality control of the reference dataset is critical. Once the data have been quality checked, the local minima and maxima reference fields are derived and the method is compared with the classical mean/variance-based approach. Performance is assessed in terms of statistics of good and bad detections. It is shown that the present size of the reference datasets allows the parameter estimates to reach a satisfactory robustness level to always make the method more efficient than the classical one. As expected, insufficient robustness persists in areas with an especially low number of samples and high variability.

Description: This study has been conducted using EU Copernicus Marine Service Information and was supported by the European Union within the EU Copernicus Marine Service In Situ phase-I and phase-II contracts led by Ifremer. The publication was also supported by SOERE CTDO2 in France. The Argo data were collected and made freely available by the International Argo Program and the national programs that contribute to it (see http://www.argo.ucsd.edu, http://argo.jcommops.org). The Argo Program is part of the Global Ocean Observing System (http://doi.org/10.17882/42182). The marine mammal data were collected and made freely available by the International MEOP Consortium and the national programs that contribute to it (see http://www.meop.net; https://doi.org/10.17882/45461). Aleix Gelabert and Dídac Costa were the skippers of the OPOO, sponsored by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO) and Pharmaton. The BWR is a periodic oceanic race organized by the Fundació Navegació Oceànica de Barcelona (FNOB). Reviewer D. Briand provided some useful comments on the final version of the draft paper before submission.

Description: 2020-11-04

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2020. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 50(5), (2020): 1245-1263, doi:10.1175/JPO-D-19-0213.1.

Description: We use laboratory experiments and theoretical modeling to investigate the surface expression of a subglacial discharge plume, as occurs at many fjords around Greenland. The experiments consider a fountain that is released vertically into a homogeneous fluid, adjacent either to a vertical or a sloping wall, that then spreads horizontally at the free surface before sinking back to the bottom. We present a model that separates the fountain into two separate regions: a vertical fountain and a horizontal, negatively buoyant jet. The model is compared to laboratory experiments that are conducted over a range of volume fluxes, density differences, and ambient fluid depths. It is shown that the nondimensionalized length, width, and aspect ratio of the surface expression are dependent on the Froude number, calculated at the start of the negatively buoyant jet. The model is applied to observations of the surface expression from a Greenland subglacial discharge plume. In the case where the discharge plume reaches the surface with negative buoyancy the model can be used to estimate the discharge properties at the base of the glacier.

Description: We gratefully acknowledge technical assistance from Anders Jensen and thank anonymous reviewers for improving the clarity of the manuscript. CM thanks the Weston Howard Jr. Scholarship for funding. Support to CC was given by NSF project OCE-1434041 and OCE-1658079.

Description: 2020-10-27

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2020. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 50(3), (2020): 679-694, doi:10.1175/JPO-D-19-0218.1.

Description: The zonally integrated flow in a basin can be separated into the divergent/nondivergent parts, and a uniquely defined meridional overturning circulation (MOC) can be calculated. For a basin with significant volume exchange at zonal open boundaries, this method is competent in removing the components associated with the nonzero source terms due to zonal transports at open boundaries. This method was applied to the zonally integrated flow in the Indian Ocean basin extended all the way to the Antarctic by virtue of the ECCO dataset. The contributions due to two major zonal flow systems at open boundaries, the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), were well separated from the rotational flow component, and a nondivergent overturning circulation pattern was identified. Comparisons with previous studies on the MOC of the Indian Ocean in different seasons showed overall consistency but with refinements in details to the south of the entry of the ITF, reflecting the influence of ITF on the MOC pattern in the domain. Other options of decomposition are also examined.

Description: LH was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China through Grant 2019YFA0606703 and “The Fundamental Research Funds of Shandong University” (2019GN051). The authors thank the anonymous reviewers and the editor for their constructive comments. Code availability: The Matlab code that performs the decomposition and produces some figures in this paper is available at https://github.com/lei-han-SDU/IMOC/.

Description: 2020-09-02

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2020. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 50(9), (2020): 2491-2506, doi:10.1175/JPO-D-20-0056.1.

Description: An idealized two-layer shallow water model is applied to the study of the dynamics of the Arctic Ocean halocline. The model is forced by a surface stress distribution reflective of the observed wind stress pattern and ice motion and by an inflow representing the flow of Pacific Water through Bering Strait. The model reproduces the main elements of the halocline circulation: an anticyclonic Beaufort Gyre in the western basin (representing the Canada Basin), a cyclonic circulation in the eastern basin (representing the Eurasian Basin), and a Transpolar Drift between the two gyres directed from the upwind side of the basin to the downwind side of the basin. Analysis of the potential vorticity budget shows a basin-averaged balance primarily between potential vorticity input at the surface and dissipation at the lateral boundaries. However, advection is a leading-order term not only within the anticyclonic and cyclonic gyres but also between the gyres. This means that the eastern and western basins are dynamically connected through the advection of potential vorticity. Both eddy and mean fluxes play a role in connecting the regions of potential vorticity input at the surface with the opposite gyre and with the viscous boundary layers. These conclusions are based on a series of model runs in which forcing, topography, straits, and the Coriolis parameter were varied.

Description: This study was supported by National Science Foundation Grant OPP-1822334. Comments and suggestions from two anonymous referees greatly helped to improve the paper.

Description: 2021-02-17

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2020. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 101(6), (2020): E897-E904, doi:10.1175/BAMS-D-19-0047.1.

Description: Over the past 15 years, numerous studies have suggested that the sinking branches of Earth’s Hadley circulation and the associated subtropical dry zones have shifted poleward over the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century. Early estimates of this tropical widening from satellite observations and reanalyses varied from 0.25° to 3° latitude per decade, while estimates from global climate models show widening at the lower end of the observed range. In 2016, two working groups, the U.S. Climate Variability and Predictability (CLIVAR) working group on the Changing Width of the Tropical Belt and the International Space Science Institute (ISSI) Tropical Width Diagnostics Intercomparison Project, were formed to synthesize current understanding of the magnitude, causes, and impacts of the recent tropical widening evident in observations. These working groups concluded that the large rates of observed tropical widening noted by earlier studies resulted from their use of metrics that poorly capture changes in the Hadley circulation, or from the use of reanalyses that contained spurious trends. Accounting for these issues reduces the range of observed expansion rates to 0.25°–0.5° latitude decade‒1—within the range from model simulations. Models indicate that most of the recent Northern Hemisphere tropical widening is consistent with natural variability, whereas increasing greenhouse gases and decreasing stratospheric ozone likely played an important role in Southern Hemisphere widening. Whatever the cause or rate of expansion, understanding the regional impacts of tropical widening requires additional work, as different forcings can produce different regional patterns of widening.

Description: We thank U.S. CLIVAR and ISSI for funding the two working groups. We thank all members of the working groups for helpful discussions, and the U.S. CLIVAR and ISSI offices and their sponsoring agencies (NASA, NOAA, NSF, DOE, ESA, Swiss Confederation, Swiss Academy of Sciences, and University of Bern) for supporting these groups and activities.

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2020. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 50(4), (2020): 887-905, doi:10.1175/JPO-D-19-0110.1.

Description: The Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC) encounters the Galápagos Archipelago on the equator as it flows eastward across the Pacific. The impact of the Galápagos Archipelago on the EUC in the eastern equatorial Pacific remains largely unknown. In this study, the path of the EUC as it reaches the Galápagos Archipelago is measured directly using high-resolution observations obtained by autonomous underwater gliders. Gliders were deployed along three lines that define a closed region with the Galápagos Archipelago as the eastern boundary and 93°W from 2°S to 2°N as the western boundary. Twelve transects were simultaneously occupied along the three lines during 52 days in April–May 2016. Analysis of individual glider transects and average sections along each line show that the EUC splits around the Galápagos Archipelago. Velocity normal to the transects is used to estimate net horizontal volume transport into the volume. Downward integration of the net horizontal transport profile provides an estimate of the time- and areal-averaged vertical velocity profile over the 52-day time period. Local maxima in vertical velocity occur at depths of 25 and 280 m with magnitudes of (1.7 ± 0.6) × 10−5 m s−1 and (8.0 ± 1.6) × 10−5 m s−1, respectively. Volume transport as a function of salinity indicates that water crossing 93°W south (north) of 0.4°S tends to flow around the south (north) side of the Galápagos Archipelago. Comparisons are made between previous observational and modeling studies with differences attributed to effects of the strong 2015/16 El Niño event, the annual cycle of local winds, and varying longitudes between studies of the equatorial Pacific.

Description: This work was supported by National Science Foundation (Grants OCE-1232971 and OCE-1233282) and the NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship Program (Grant 80NSSC17K0443).

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2020. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 50(10), (2020): 2849-2871, https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-20-0086.1.

Description: The structure, transport, and seasonal variability of the West Greenland boundary current system near Cape Farewell are investigated using a high-resolution mooring array deployed from 2014 to 2018. The boundary current system is comprised of three components: the West Greenland Coastal Current, which advects cold and fresh Upper Polar Water (UPW); the West Greenland Current, which transports warm and salty Irminger Water (IW) along the upper slope and UPW at the surface; and the Deep Western Boundary Current, which advects dense overflow waters. Labrador Sea Water (LSW) is prevalent at the seaward side of the array within an offshore recirculation gyre and at the base of the West Greenland Current. The 4-yr mean transport of the full boundary current system is 31.1 ± 7.4 Sv (1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1), with no clear seasonal signal. However, the individual water mass components exhibit seasonal cycles in hydrographic properties and transport. LSW penetrates the boundary current locally, through entrainment/mixing from the adjacent recirculation gyre, and also enters the current upstream in the Irminger Sea. IW is modified through air–sea interaction during winter along the length of its trajectory around the Irminger Sea, which converts some of the water to LSW. This, together with the seasonal increase in LSW entering the current, results in an anticorrelation in transport between these two water masses. The seasonality in UPW transport can be explained by remote wind forcing and subsequent adjustment via coastal trapped waves. Our results provide the first quantitatively robust observational description of the boundary current in the eastern Labrador Sea.

Description: A.P., R.S.P., F.B., D.J.T., and A.L.R. were funded by Grants OCE-1259618 and OCE-1756361 from the National Science Foundation. I.L.B, F.S., and J.H. were supported by U.S. National Science Foundation Grants OCE-1258823 and OCE-1756272. Mooring data from MA2 was funded by the European Union 7th Framework Programme (FP7 2007-2013) under Grant 308299 (NACLIM) and the Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant 727852 (Blue-Action). J.K. and M.O. acknowledge EU Horizon 2020 funding Grants 727852 (Blue-action) and 862626 (EuroSea) and from the German Ministry of Research and Education (RACE Program). G.W.K.M. acknowledges funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2020. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 101(11), (2020): E1996-E2004, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-19-0305.1.

Description: A long-standing challenge in oceanography is the observing, modeling, and prediction of vertical transport, which links the sunlit and atmospherically mediated surface boundary layer with the deeper ocean. Vertical motions play a critical role in the exchange of heat, freshwater, and biogeochemical tracers between the surface and the ocean interior. The most intense vertical velocities occur at horizontal scales less than 10 km, making them difficult to observe in the ocean and to resolve in models. Understanding how finescale turbulent motions and 0.1–10 km submesoscale processes contribute to the large-scale budgets of nutrients, oxygen, carbon, and heat and affect sea surface temperature, the air–sea exchange of gases, and the carbon cycle is one of the key challenges in oceanography.

Description: CALYPSO is a Departmental Research Initiative (DRI) funded by the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR). It is a collaborative program involving more than 30 scientists and students and multiple institutions in the United States, Spain, and Italy. Measurements were conducted from the NRV Alliance, Pourquoi Pas?, and SOCIB. We are grateful to the captains and crews of these research vessels and the technical and scientific staff involved in making measurements, running models, analyzing data, and providing support.

Description: 2021-05-01

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2020. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 50(4), (2020): 1045-1064, doi:10.1175/JPO-D-19-0137.1.

Description: Three simulations of the circulation in the Gulf of Mexico (the “Gulf”) using different numerical general circulation models are compared with results of recent large-scale observational campaigns conducted throughout the deep (〉1500 m) Gulf. Analyses of these observations have provided new understanding of large-scale mean circulation features and variability throughout the deep Gulf. Important features include cyclonic flow along the continental slope, deep cyclonic circulation in the western Gulf, a counterrotating pair of cells under the Loop Current region, and a cyclonic cell to the south of this pair. These dominant circulation features are represented in each of the ocean model simulations, although with some obvious differences. A striking difference between all the models and the observations is that the simulated deep eddy kinetic energy under the Loop Current region is generally less than one-half of that computed from observations. A multidecadal integration of one of these numerical simulations is used to evaluate the uncertainty of estimates of velocity statistics in the deep Gulf computed from limited-length (4 years) observational or model records. This analysis shows that the main deep circulation features identified from the observational studies appear to be robust and are not substantially impacted by variability on time scales longer than the observational records. Differences in strengths and structures of the circulation features are identified, however, and quantified through standard error analysis of the statistical estimates using the model solutions.

Description: This work was supported by the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences under Awards 2000006422 and 2000009966. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Gulf Research Program or the National Academy of Sciences. The authors acknowledge the GLORYS project for providing the ocean reanalysis data used in the ROMS simulation. GLORYS is jointly conducted by MERCATOR OCEAN, CORIOLIS, and CNRS/INSU. Installation, recovery, data acquisition, and processing of the CANEK group current-meter moorings were possible because of CICESE-PetróleosMexicanos Grant PEP-CICESE 428229851 and the dedicated work of the crew of the B/O Justo Sierra and scientists of the CANEK group. The authors thank Dr. Aljaz Maslo, CICESE, for assistance with analysis of model data. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), U.S. Dept. of the Interior, provided funding for the Lagrangian Study of the Deep Circulation in the Gulf of Mexico and the Observations and Dynamics of the Loop Current study. HYCOM simulation data are available from the HYCOM data server (https://www.hycom.org/data/goml0pt04/expt-02pt2), MITgcm data are available from the ECCO data server (http://ecco.ucsd.edu/gom_results2.html), and the ROMS simulation data are available from GRIIDC (NA.x837.000:0001).

Description: Invasive species pose a major risk to marine biodiversity and ecosystem health (Bax et al. 2003, Molnar et al. 2008, Costello et al. 2010), and consequently to ecosystem services that are crucial for livelihoods and human well-being. The increasing movement of goods and services across the globe has enhanced the risk of invasive species throughout the world. Fiji is considered a hub of marine traffic among the Pacific Islands, and therefore is an entry point for high-risk invasive species in the area. Currently, the information on local marine biodiversity, and consequently marine invasive alien species (MIAS) is lacking in the Pacific Islands at large. While the Government of Fiji is active in biodiversity monitoring through the Biosecurity Authority of Fiji (BAF), the Fiji Invasive Alien Species Task Force (FIST), the National Invasive Species Framework and Action Plan (NISFSAP) currently under construction through Fiji’s national invasive species project and the Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) program, many of these initiatives are focused on terrestrial biosecurity and lack a robust approach to address the problem at the marine ecosystem level. Consultation with local stakeholders revealed that increased efforts on marine biodiversity conservation should go hand in hand with increased efforts in MIAS management. National priorities for Fiji’s National Biodiversity Strategic Action Plan (NBSAP) addresses this link through its Focus Area 4: Management of Invasive Alien Species (IAS). Concerted efforts in this focus area are geared towards the establishment of an Invasive Species Database, the strengthening of the FIST, increased coordination between local and regional networks on IAS management and a renewed surge in national effort to raise the standard of biosecurity surveillance programs such as those found under the Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) program for BAF. The successful development of these national programs, requires enhanced collection of information on marine biodiversity, knowledge on the existing presence of marine invasive species, and the development of routine monitoring to enable rapid responses to known highly invasive species. Existing frameworks at BAF utilized for terrestrial IAS management will be used to guide the development of future management plans for MIAS. BAF is the lead implementing agency for a GEF 6 project “Building Capacities to Address Invasive Alien Species to Enhance the Chances of Long-term Survival of Terrestrial Endemic and Threatened Species on Taveuni Island and Surrounding Islets” aimed at establishing and enhancing national and local capacity to prevent, detect, control and manage invasive alien species. A key planned outcome of the project is development of a clearinghouse mechanism to collate and make accessible IAS information to all stakeholders. The PaCMAN project will partner with the GEF6 IAS project in this regard so that MIAS data generated from the PacMAN project is curated, verified, uploaded and available through this clearing house. Through PacMAN outcomes, the Ministry of Environment has indicated to initiate a management policy on marine invasive species as a by-product of the management recommendations from the project. Technical capacity in molecular methods exists in pockets in Fiji, however further capacity development is necessary to ensure the effectiveness of eDNA in routine marine conservation efforts. BAF has been identified as a partner through local stakeholder consultations that will assist with technological gaps with its DNA analysis capacity through a recently acquired qPCR unit. Considering marine invasive species, Fiji is also one of the Lead Partnering Countries (LPCs) in the GEF/UNDP-IMO project “Building Partnerships to Assist Developing Countries Minimize the Impacts from Aquatic Biofouling (GloFouling Partnerships (https://www.glofouling.imo.org), indicating its willingness to establish a national strategic action plan to manage biofouling. The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) which is the regional coordinator for the Glofouling partnerships is committed to develop a MIAS toolkit as well as conduct capacity building training for local MIAS managers as well as key technical working groups such as the FIST. SPREP has expressed a need for data on marine biodiversity, as well as monitoring guidelines that will be developed through PacMAN. The interest and involvement of SPREP shows that there is a need for MIAS monitoring also in other regional countries in the Pacific. Further linkages can be observed from SPREP’s increased efforts in building capacity on IAS management in the region through its GEF 6 project and its Managing Invasive Species for Climate Change Adaptation in the Pacific (MISCCAP).

Description: Government of Flanders

Description: Richard Lounsbery Foundation

Description: OPENASFA INPUT

Description: Published

Description: Not Known

Description: The IOC Committee on International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange held its Twenty-fifth Session (IODE-XXV) at the Iino Hall, Tokyo, Japan between 20 and 22 February 2019. The Session was preceded by a 2-day scientific conference 18-19 February 2019, attended by 150 participants. The IODE Session was attended by 100 participants from 39 IOC Member States and 7 Organizations. The Session adopted 4 decisions (+ 2 draft decisions for the IOC Assembly) and 5 recommendations. The decisions concerned (i) the establishment of an inter-sessional working group on the review of NODC health status; (ii) the revision of the IODE management structure; (iii) the establishment of the inter-sessional working group to develop the implementation plan and cost-benefit analysis for the IOC Ocean Data and Information System (ODIS). The Recommendations concerned (i) the JCOMM/IODE Global Data Assembly Centres; (ii) the revision of the terms of reference of he JCOMM/IODE ETDMP; (iii) the establishment of the IOC Ocean Data and Information System Catalogue of Sources (ODISCat); (iv) the establishment of an inter-sessional working group to propose a strategy on ocean data and information stewardship for the UN Ocean Decade; and (v) the IODE work plan and budget for 2019-2020. In addition a draft decision was prepared for the IOC Assembly on the revision of the IOC Oceanographic Data Exchange Policy as well as a draft decision on the establishment of the IOC Ocean Best Practices System project. The Committee elected Dr Sergey Belov (Russian Federation) and Mr Taco de Bruin (The Netherlands) as IODE Co-Chairs.

Description: OpenASFA input

Description: Published

Description: Not Known

Description: In pursuance of 38 C/Resolution 101 on Governance, procedures and working methods of the governing bodies of UNESCO, an intersessional open-ended working group was established to further examine views and proposals of Member States, the External Auditor’s report and other relevant evaluations and audits. Purpose of the document: This document presents background information to assist Member States in their discussions on reviewing the efficiency of the IOC governance and prepare a contribution to the work of the General Conference Working Group by the end of 2016.

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed

Description: The Joint Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM) was established by its parent organizations, the World Meteorological Organization and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (of UNESCO) in 1999, to coordinate worldwide marine meteorological and oceanographic services and their supporting observational, data management, forecasting, analysis and capacity building programmes. JCOMM coordinates and recommends standards and procedures for a fully-integrated marine meteorology and ocean observing, data management, forecasting and analysis system which uses state-of-the-art technologies and capabilities. It is responsive to the evolving needs of all users of marine data and products, including an outreach programme to enhance the national capacity of all maritime countries. It aims to maximize the benefits for its Members/Member States in the projects, programmes and activities that it undertakes in their interest as well as those of the global community in general

Description: OpenASFA input

Description: Published

Description: Not Known

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2022. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 52(10), (2022): 2431-2444, https://doi.org/10.1175/jpo-d-22-0024.1.

Description: A three-dimensional inertial model that conserves quasigeostrophic potential vorticity is proposed for wind-driven coastal upwelling along western boundaries. The dominant response to upwelling favorable winds is a surface-intensified baroclinic meridional boundary current with a subsurface countercurrent. The width of the current is not the baroclinic deformation radius but instead scales with the inertial boundary layer thickness while the depth scales as the ratio of the inertial boundary layer thickness to the baroclinic deformation radius. Thus, the boundary current scales depend on the stratification, wind stress, Coriolis parameter, and its meridional variation. In contrast to two-dimensional wind-driven coastal upwelling, the source waters that feed the Ekman upwelling are provided over the depth scale of this baroclinic current through a combination of onshore barotropic flow and from alongshore in the narrow boundary current. Topography forces an additional current whose characteristics depend on the topographic slope and width. For topography wider than the inertial boundary layer thickness the current is bottom intensified, while for narrow topography the current is wave-like in the vertical and trapped over the topography within the inertial boundary layer. An idealized primitive equation numerical model produces a similar baroclinic boundary current whose vertical length scale agrees with the theoretical scaling for both upwelling and downwelling favorable winds.

Description: This research is supported in part by the China Scholarship Council (201906330102). H. G. is financially supported by the China Scholarship Council to study at WHOI for 2 years as a guest student. M.S. is supported by the National Science Foundation Grant OCE-1922538. Z. C. is supported by the ‘Taishan/Aoshan’ Talents program (2017ASTCPES05) the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (202072001).

Description: 2023-03-30

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2022. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 52(10), (2022): 2325–2341, https://doi.org/10.1175/jpo-d-21-0015.1.

Description: The ocean surface boundary layer is a gateway of energy transfer into the ocean. Wind-driven shear and meteorologically forced convection inject turbulent kinetic energy into the surface boundary layer, mixing the upper ocean and transforming its density structure. In the absence of direct observations or the capability to resolve subgrid-scale 3D turbulence in operational ocean models, the oceanography community relies on surface boundary layer similarity scalings (BLS) of shear and convective turbulence to represent this mixing. Despite their importance, near-surface mixing processes (and ubiquitous BLS representations of these processes) have been undersampled in high-energy forcing regimes such as the Southern Ocean. With the maturing of autonomous sampling platforms, there is now an opportunity to collect high-resolution spatial and temporal measurements in the full range of forcing conditions. Here, we characterize near-surface turbulence under strong wind forcing using the first long-duration glider microstructure survey of the Southern Ocean. We leverage these data to show that the measured turbulence is significantly higher than standard shear-convective BLS in the shallower parts of the surface boundary layer and lower than standard shear-convective BLS in the deeper parts of the surface boundary layer; the latter of which is not easily explained by present wave-effect literature. Consistent with the CBLAST (Coupled Boundary Layers and Air Sea Transfer) low winds experiment, this bias has the largest magnitude and spread in the shallowest 10% of the actively mixing layer under low-wind and breaking wave conditions, when relatively low levels of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) in surface regime are easily biased by wave events.

Description: This paper is VIMS Contribution 4103. Computational resources were provided by the VIMS Ocean-Atmosphere and Climate Change Research Fund. AUSSOM was supported by the OCE Division of the National Science Foundation (1558639).

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2021. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 51(1), (2021): 19-35, https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-19-0233.1.

Description: In the Beaufort Sea in September of 2015, concurrent mooring and microstructure observations were used to assess dissipation rates in the vicinity of 72°35′N, 145°1′W. Microstructure measurements from a free-falling profiler survey showed very low [O(10−10) W kg−1] turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rates ε. A finescale parameterization based on both shear and strain measurements was applied to estimate the ratio of shear to strain Rω and ε at the mooring location, and a strain-based parameterization was applied to the microstructure survey (which occurred approximately 100 km away from the mooring site) for direct comparison with microstructure results. The finescale parameterization worked well, with discrepancies ranging from a factor of 1–2.5 depending on depth. The largest discrepancies occurred at depths with high shear. Mean Rω was 17, and Rω showed high variability with values ranging from 3 to 50 over 8 days. Observed ε was slightly elevated (factor of 2–3 compared with a later survey of 11 profiles taken over 3 h) from 25 to 125 m following a wind event which occurred at the beginning of the mooring deployment, reaching a maximum of ε= 6 × 10−10 W kg−1 at 30-m depth. Velocity signals associated with near-inertial waves (NIWs) were observed at depths greater than 200 m, where the Atlantic Water mass represents a reservoir of oceanic heat. However, no evidence of elevated ε or heat fluxes was observed in association with NIWs at these depths in either the microstructure survey or the finescale parameterization estimates.

Description: This work was supported by NSF Grants PLR 14-56705 and PLR-1303791 and by NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Grant DGE-1650112.

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2021. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 51(1),(2021): 3-17, https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-20-0064.1.

Description: The strong El Niño of 2014–16 was observed west of the Galápagos Islands through sustained deployment of underwater gliders. Three years of observations began in October 2013 and ended in October 2016, with observations at longitudes 93° and 95°W between latitudes 2°N and 2°S. In total, there were over 3000 glider-days of data, covering over 50 000 km with over 12 000 profiles. Coverage was superior closer to the Galápagos on 93°W, where gliders were equipped with sensors to measure velocity as well as temperature, salinity, and pressure. The repeated glider transects are analyzed to produce highly resolved mean sections and maps of observed variables as functions of time, latitude, and depth. The mean sections reveal the structure of the Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC), the South Equatorial Current, and the equatorial front. The mean fields are used to calculate potential vorticity Q and Richardson number Ri. Gradients in the mean are strong enough to make the sign of Q opposite to that of planetary vorticity and to have Ri near unity, suggestive of mixing. Temporal variability is dominated by the 2014–16 El Niño, with the arrival of depressed isopycnals documented in 2014 and 2015. Increases in eastward velocity advect anomalously salty water and are uncorrelated with warm temperatures and deep isopycnals. Thus, vertical advection is important to changes in heat, and horizontal advection is relevant to changes in salt. Implications of this work include possibilities for future research, model assessment and improvement, and sustained observations across the equatorial Pacific.

Description: We gratefully acknowledge the support of the National Science Foundation (OCE-1232971, OCE-1233282) and the Ocean Observing and Monitoring Division of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NA13OAR4830216).

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2021. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of the Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology 38(1), (2021): 3-16, https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-20-0110.1.

Description: Airborne expendable bathythermographs (AXBTs) are air-launched, single-use temperature–depth probes that telemeter temperature observations as VHF-modulated frequencies. This study describes the AXBT Real-Time Editing System (ARES), which is composed of two components: the ARES Data Acquisition System, which receives telemetered temperature–depth profiles with no external hardware other than a VHF radio receiver, and the ARES Profile Editing System, which quality controls AXBT temperature–depth profiles. The ARES Data Acquisition System performs fast Fourier transforms on windowed segments of the demodulated signal transmitted from the AXBT. For each segment, temperature is determined from peak frequency and depth from elapsed time since profile start. Valid signals are distinguished from noise by comparing peak signal levels and signal-to-noise ratios to predetermined thresholds. When evaluated using 387 profiles, the ARES Data Acquisition System produced temperature–depth profiles nearly identical to those generated using a Sippican MK-21 processor, while reducing the amount of noise from VHF interference included in those profiles. The ARES Profile Editor applies a series of automated checks to identify and correct common profile discrepancies before displaying the profile on an editing interface that provides simple user controls to make additional corrections. When evaluated against 1177 tropical Atlantic and Pacific AXBT profiles, the ARES automated quality control system successfully corrected 87% of the profiles without any required manual intervention. Necessary future work includes improvements to the automated quality control algorithm and algorithm evaluation against a broader dataset of temperature–depth profiles from around the world across all seasons.

Description: This work was sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (Grants N000141812819 and N0001420WX00345) and the U.S. Navy’s Civilian Institution Office with the MIT–WHOI Joint Program.

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2021. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 102(1), (2021): E99-E122, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-19-0005.1.

Description: The Red Sea, home to the second-longest coral reef system in the world, is a vital resource for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Red Sea provides 90% of the Kingdom’s potable water by desalinization, supporting tourism, shipping, aquaculture, and fishing industries, which together contribute about 10%–20% of the country’s GDP. All these activities, and those elsewhere in the Red Sea region, critically depend on oceanic and atmospheric conditions. At a time of mega-development projects along the Red Sea coast, and global warming, authorities are working on optimizing the harnessing of environmental resources, including renewable energy and rainwater harvesting. All these require high-resolution weather and climate information. Toward this end, we have undertaken a multipronged research and development activity in which we are developing an integrated data-driven regional coupled modeling system. The telescopically nested components include 5-km- to 600-m-resolution atmospheric models to address weather and climate challenges, 4-km- to 50-m-resolution ocean models with regional and coastal configurations to simulate and predict the general and mesoscale circulation, 4-km- to 100-m-resolution ecosystem models to simulate the biogeochemistry, and 1-km- to 50-m-resolution wave models. In addition, a complementary probabilistic transport modeling system predicts dispersion of contaminant plumes, oil spill, and marine ecosystem connectivity. Advanced ensemble data assimilation capabilities have also been implemented for accurate forecasting. Resulting achievements include significant advancement in our understanding of the regional circulation and its connection to the global climate, development, and validation of long-term Red Sea regional atmospheric–oceanic–wave reanalyses and forecasting capacities. These products are being extensively used by academia, government, and industry in various weather and marine studies and operations, environmental policies, renewable energy applications, impact assessment, flood forecasting, and more.

Description: The development of the Red Sea modeling system is being supported by the Virtual Red Sea Initiative and the Competitive Research Grants (CRG) program from the Office of Sponsored Research at KAUST, Saudi Aramco Company through the Saudi ARAMCO Marine Environmental Center at KAUST, and by funds from KAEC, NEOM, and RSP through Beacon Development Company at KAUST.

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2020. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 50(11), (2020): 3267–3294, https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-19-0310.1.

Description: As part of the Flow Encountering Abrupt Topography (FLEAT) program, an array of pressure-sensor equipped inverted echo sounders (PIESs) was deployed north of Palau where the westward-flowing North Equatorial Current encounters the southern end of the Kyushu–Palau Ridge in the tropical North Pacific. Capitalizing on concurrent observations from satellite altimetry, FLEAT Spray gliders, and shipboard hydrography, the PIESs’ 10-month duration hourly bottom pressure p and round-trip acoustic travel time τ records are used to examine the magnitude and predictability of sea level and pycnocline depth changes and to track signal propagations through the array. Sea level and pycnocline depth are found to vary in response to a range of ocean processes, with their magnitude and predictability strongly process dependent. Signals characterized here comprise the barotropic tides, semidiurnal and diurnal internal tides, southeastward-propagating superinertial waves, westward-propagating mesoscale eddies, and a strong signature of sea level increase and pycnocline deepening associated with the region’s relaxation from El Niño to La Niña conditions. The presence of a broad band of superinertial waves just above the inertial frequency was unexpected and the FLEAT observations and output from a numerical model suggest that these waves detected near Palau are forced by remote winds east of the Philippines. The PIES-based estimates of pycnocline displacement are found to have large uncertainties relative to overall variability in pycnocline depth, as localized deep current variations arising from interactions of the large-scale currents with the abrupt topography around Palau have significant travel time variability.

Description: Support for this research was provided by Office of Naval Research Grants N00014-16-1-2668, N00014-18-1-2406, N00014-15-1-2488, and N00014-15-1-2622. R.C.M. was additionally supported by the Postdoctoral Scholar Program at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, with funding provided by the Weston Howland Jr. Postdoctoral Scholarship.

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2020. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 50(11),(2020): 3331–3351, https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-20-0035.1.

Description: This study examines the generation of warm spiral structures (referred to as spiral streamers here) over Gulf Stream warm-core rings. Satellite sea surface temperature imagery shows spiral streamers forming after warmer water from the Gulf Stream or newly formed warm-core rings impinges onto old warm-core rings and then intrudes into the old rings. Field measurements in April 2018 capture the vertical structure of a warm spiral streamer as a shallow lens of low-density water winding over an old ring. Observations also show subduction on both sides of the spiral streamer, which carries surface waters downward. Idealized numerical model simulations initialized with observed water-mass densities reproduce spiral streamers over warm-core rings and reveal that their formation is a nonlinear submesoscale process forced by mesoscale dynamics. The negative density anomaly of the intruding water causes a density front at the interface between the intruding water and surface ring water, which, through thermal wind balance, drives a local anticyclonic flow. The pressure gradient and momentum advection of the local interfacial flow push the intruding water toward the ring center. The large-scale anticyclonic flow of the ring and the radial motion of the intruding water together form the spiral streamer. The observed subduction on both sides of the spiral streamer is part of the secondary cross-streamer circulation resulting from frontogenesis on the stretching streamer edges. The surface divergence of the secondary circulation pushes the side edges of the streamer away from each other, widens the warm spiral on the surface, and thus enhances its surface signal.

Description: Authors W. G. Zhang and D. J. McGillicuddy are both supported by the National Science Foundation through Grant OCE 1657803.

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2020. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 50(11), (2020): 3235–3251, https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-20-0095.1.

Description: The dense outflow through Denmark Strait is the largest contributor to the lower limb of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, yet a description of the full velocity field across the strait remains incomplete. Here we analyze a set of 22 shipboard hydrographic–velocity sections occupied along the Látrabjarg transect at the Denmark Strait sill, obtained over the time period 1993–2018. The sections provide the first complete view of the kinematic components at the sill: the shelfbreak East Greenland Current (EGC), the combined flow of the separated EGC, and the North Icelandic Jet (NIJ), and the northward-flowing North Icelandic Irminger Current (NIIC). The total mean transport of overflow water is 3.54 ± 0.29 Sv (1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1), comparable to previous estimates. The dense overflow is partitioned in terms of water mass constituents and flow components. The mean transports of the two types of overflow water—Atlantic-origin Overflow Water and Arctic-origin Overflow Water—are comparable in Denmark Strait, while the merged NIJ–separated EGC transports 55% more water than the shelfbreak EGC. A significant degree of water mass exchange takes place between the branches as they converge in Denmark Strait. There are two dominant time-varying configurations of the flow that are characterized as a cyclonic state and a noncyclonic state. These appear to be wind-driven. A potential vorticity analysis indicates that the flow through Denmark Strait is subject to symmetric instability. This occurs at the top of the overflow layer, implying that the mixing/entrainment process that modifies the overflow water begins at the sill.

Description: Funding for the study was provided by National Science Foundation (NSF) Grants OCE-1259618, OCE-1756361, and OCE-1558742. The German research cruises were financially supported through various EU Projects (e.g. THOR, NACLIM) and national projects (most recently TRR 181 “Energy Transfer in Atmosphere and Ocean” funded by the German Research Foundation and RACE II “Regional Atlantic Circulation and Global Change” funded by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research). GWKM acknowledges the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. LP was supported by NSF Grant OCE-1657870.

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2021. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 102(10), (2021): E1897–E1935, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-19-0316.1.

Description: Life on Earth vitally depends on the availability of water. Human pressure on freshwater resources is increasing, as is human exposure to weather-related extremes (droughts, storms, floods) caused by climate change. Understanding these changes is pivotal for developing mitigation and adaptation strategies. The Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) defines a suite of essential climate variables (ECVs), many related to the water cycle, required to systematically monitor Earth’s climate system. Since long-term observations of these ECVs are derived from different observation techniques, platforms, instruments, and retrieval algorithms, they often lack the accuracy, completeness, and resolution, to consistently characterize water cycle variability at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Here, we review the capability of ground-based and remotely sensed observations of water cycle ECVs to consistently observe the hydrological cycle. We evaluate the relevant land, atmosphere, and ocean water storages and the fluxes between them, including anthropogenic water use. Particularly, we assess how well they close on multiple temporal and spatial scales. On this basis, we discuss gaps in observation systems and formulate guidelines for future water cycle observation strategies. We conclude that, while long-term water cycle monitoring has greatly advanced in the past, many observational gaps still need to be overcome to close the water budget and enable a comprehensive and consistent assessment across scales. Trends in water cycle components can only be observed with great uncertainty, mainly due to insufficient length and homogeneity. An advanced closure of the water cycle requires improved model–data synthesis capabilities, particularly at regional to local scales.

Description: WD acknowledges ESA’s QA4EO (ISMN) and CCI Soil Moisture projects. WD, CRV, AG, and KL acknowledge the G3P project, which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement 870353. MIH and MS acknowledge ESA’s CCI Water Vapour project. MS and RH acknowledges the support by the EUMETSAT member states through CM SAF. DGM acknowledges support from the European Research Council (ERC) under Grant Agreement 715254 (DRY–2–DRY). Part of this research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (80NM0018D0004).

Description: 2022-04-01

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2021. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 51(2), (2021): 457–474, https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-20-0088.1.

Description: The meridional shift of the Kuroshio Extension (KE) front and changes in the formation of the North Pacific Subtropical Mode Water (STMW) during 1979–2018 are reported. The surface-to-subsurface structure of the KE front averaged over 142°–165°E has shifted poleward at a rate of ~0.23° ± 0.16° decade−1. The shift was caused mainly by the poleward shift of the downstream KE front (153°–165°E, ~0.41° ± 0.29° decade−1) and barely by the upstream KE front (142°–153°E). The long-term shift trend of the KE front showed two distinct behaviors before and after 2002. Before 2002, the surface KE front moved northward with a faster rate than the subsurface. After 2002, the surface KE front showed no obvious trend, but the subsurface KE front continued to move northward. The ventilation zone of the STMW, defined by the area between the 16° and 18°C isotherms or between the 25 and 25.5 kg m−3 isopycnals, contracted and displaced northward with a shoaling of the mixed layer depth hm before 2002 when the KE front moved northward. The STMW subduction rate was reduced by 0.76 Sv (63%; 1 Sv ≡ = 106 m3 s−1) during 1979–2018, most of which occurred before 2002. Of the three components affecting the total subduction rate, the temporal induction (−∂hm/∂t) was dominant accounting for 91% of the rate reduction, while the vertical pumping (−wmb) amounted to 8% and the lateral induction (−umb ⋅ ∇hm) was insignificant. The reduced temporal induction was attributed to both the contracted ventilation zone and the shallowed hm that were incurred by the poleward shift of KE front.

Description: Xiaopei Lin is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41925025 and 92058203) and China’s national key research and development projects (2016YFA0601803). Baolan Wu is supported by the China Scholarship Council (201806330010). Lisan Yu thanks NOAA for support for her study on climate change and variability.

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2021. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 51(8),(2021): 2463–2482, https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-20-0291.1.

Description: This paper presents analyses of drifters with drogues at different depths—1, 10, 30, and 50 m—that were deployed in the Mediterranean Sea to investigate frontal subduction and upwelling. Drifter trajectories were used to estimate divergence, vorticity, vertical velocity, and finite-size Lyapunov exponents (FTLEs) and to investigate the balance of terms in the vorticity equation. The divergence and vorticity are O(f) and change sign along trajectories. Vertical velocity is O(1 mm s−1), increases with depth, indicates predominant upwelling with isolated downwelling events, and sometimes changes sign between 1 and 50 m. Vortex stretching is one of the significant terms, but not the only one, in the vorticity balance. Two-dimensional FTLEs are 2 × 10−5 s−1 after 1 day, 2 times as large as in a 400-m-resolution numerical model. Three-dimensional FTLEs are 50% larger than 2D FTLEs and are dominated by the vertical shear of horizontal velocity. Bootstrapping suggests uncertainty levels of ~10% of the time-mean absolute values for divergence and vorticity. Analysis of simulated drifters in a model suggests that drifter-based estimates of divergence and vorticity are close to the Eulerian model estimates, except when drifters get aligned into long filaments. Drifter-based vertical velocity is close to the Eulerian model estimates at 1 m but differs at deeper depths. The errors in the vertical velocity are largely due to the lateral separation between drifters at different depths and are partially due to only measuring at four depths. Overall, this paper demonstrates how drifters, heretofore restricted to 2D near-surface observations, can be used to learn about 3D flow properties throughout the upper layer of the water column.

Description: Authors Rypina and Pratt were supported by U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) Grant N000141812417. Author Getscher acknowledges support from the U.S. Navy Civilian Institution Office with the MIT–WHOI Joint Program. Author Mourre acknowledges support from ONR Grant N00014-16-1-3130. We also thank Eugenio Cutolo for the initial technical support in the implementation of the ultra-high-resolution WMOP simulation. CALYPSO is a Departmental Research Initiative funded by the ONR.

Description: 2022-01-16

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2021. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 102(10), (2021): E1936–E1951, https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-20-0113.1.

Description: In the Bay of Bengal, the warm, dry boreal spring concludes with the onset of the summer monsoon and accompanying southwesterly winds, heavy rains, and variable air–sea fluxes. Here, we summarize the 2018 monsoon onset using observations collected through the multinational Monsoon Intraseasonal Oscillations in the Bay of Bengal (MISO-BoB) program between the United States, India, and Sri Lanka. MISO-BoB aims to improve understanding of monsoon intraseasonal variability, and the 2018 field effort captured the coupled air–sea response during a transition from active-to-break conditions in the central BoB. The active phase of the ∼20-day research cruise was characterized by warm sea surface temperature (SST 〉 30°C), cold atmospheric outflows with intermittent heavy rainfall, and increasing winds (from 2 to 15 m s−1). Accumulated rainfall exceeded 200 mm with 90% of precipitation occurring during the first week. The following break period was both dry and clear, with persistent 10–12 m s−1 wind and evaporation of 0.2 mm h−1. The evolving environmental state included a deepening ocean mixed layer (from ∼20 to 50 m), cooling SST (by ∼1°C), and warming/drying of the lower to midtroposphere. Local atmospheric development was consistent with phasing of the large-scale intraseasonal oscillation. The upper ocean stores significant heat in the BoB, enough to maintain SST above 29°C despite cooling by surface fluxes and ocean mixing. Comparison with reanalysis indicates biases in air–sea fluxes, which may be related to overly cool prescribed SST. Resolution of such biases offers a path toward improved forecasting of transition periods in the monsoon.

Description: This work was supported through the U.S. Office of Naval Research’s Departmental Research Initiative: Monsoon Intraseasonal Oscillations in the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ministry of Earth Science’s Ocean Mixing and Monsoons Program, and the Sri Lankan National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency. We thank the Captain and crew of the R/V Thompson for their help in data collection. Surface atmospheric fields included fluxes were quality controlled and processed by the Boundary Layer Observations and Processes Team within the NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory. Forecast analysis was completed by India Meteorological Department. Drone image was taken by Shreyas Kamat with annotations by Gualtiero Spiro Jaeger. We also recognize the numerous researchers who supported cruise- and land-based measurements. This work represents Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory contribution number 8503, and PMEL contribution number 5193.

Description: 2022-04-01

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2021. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 51(1), (2021): 247-266, https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-20-0098.1.

Description: This study focuses on mechanisms of shelf valley bathymetry affecting the spread of riverine freshwater in the nearshore region. In the context of Changjiang River, a numerical model is used with different no-tide idealized configurations to simulate development of unforced river plumes over a sloping bottom, with and without a shelf valley off the estuary mouth. All simulated freshwater plumes are surface-trapped with continuously growing bulges near the estuary mouth and narrow coastal currents downstream. The simulations indicate that a shelf valley tends to compress the bulge along the direction of the valley long axis and modify the incident angle of the bulge flow impinging toward the coast, which then affects the strength of the coastal current. The bulge compression results from geostrophic adjustment and isobath-following tendency of the depth-averaged flow in the bulge region. Generally, the resulting change in the direction of the bulge impinging flow enhances down-shelf momentum advection and freshwater delivery into the coastal current. Sensitivity simulations with altered river discharges Q, Coriolis parameter, shelf bottom slope, valley geometry, and ambient stratification show that enhancement of down-shelf freshwater transport in the coastal current, ΔQc, increases with increasing valley depth within the bulge region and decreasing slope Burger number of the ambient shelf. Assuming potential vorticity conservation, a scaling formula of ΔQc/Q is developed, and it agrees well with results of the sensitivity simulations. Mechanisms of valley influences on unforced river plumes revealed here will help future studies of topographic influence on river plumes under more realistic conditions.

Description: This work is conducted by Canbo Xiao and Weifeng (Gordon) Zhang during CX’s one-year visit at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in 2018–19. CX was supported by China Scholarship Council.

Description: © The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Spingys, C. P., Garabato, A. C. N., Legg, S., Polzin, K. L., Abrahamsen, E. P., Buckingham, C. E., Forryan, A., & Frajka-Williams, E. E. Mixing and transformation in a deep western boundary current: a case study. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 51(4), (2021): 1205-1222, https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-20-0132.1

Description: Water-mass transformation by turbulent mixing is a key part of the deep-ocean overturning, as it drives the upwelling of dense waters formed at high latitudes. Here, we quantify this transformation and its underpinning processes in a small Southern Ocean basin: the Orkney Deep. Observations reveal a focusing of the transport in density space as a deep western boundary current (DWBC) flows through the region, associated with lightening and densification of the current’s denser and lighter layers, respectively. These transformations are driven by vigorous turbulent mixing. Comparing this transformation with measurements of the rate of turbulent kinetic energy dissipation indicates that, within the DWBC, turbulence operates with a high mixing efficiency, characterized by a dissipation ratio of 0.6 to 1 that exceeds the common value of 0.2. This result is corroborated by estimates of the dissipation ratio from microstructure observations. The causes of the transformation are unraveled through a decomposition into contributions dependent on the gradients in density space of the: dianeutral mixing rate, isoneutral area, and stratification. The transformation is found to be primarily driven by strong turbulence acting on an abrupt transition from the weakly stratified bottom boundary layer to well-stratified off-boundary waters. The reduced boundary layer stratification is generated by a downslope Ekman flow associated with the DWBC’s flow along sloping topography, and is further regulated by submesoscale instabilities acting to restratify near-boundary waters. Our results provide observational evidence endorsing the importance of near-boundary mixing processes to deep-ocean overturning, and highlight the role of DWBCs as hot spots of dianeutral upwelling.

Description: CS, ACNG, AF, and EFW were supported by the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Grant NE/K013181/1. ACNG was supported by the Royal Society and Wolfson Foundation. EPA and CEB were supported by NERC Grant NE/K012843/1. CEB was funded by an MSCA grant (No. 798319) from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program. EPA was supported by NERC Grant NE/N018095/1. SL and KP were supported by U.S. National Science Foundation Grants OCE-1536453 and OCE-1536779. SL acknowledges support of Award NA18OAR4320123 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2021. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 51(3), (2021): 955–973, https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-20-0240.1.

Description: Fresh Arctic waters flowing into the Atlantic are thought to have two primary fates. They may be mixed into the deep ocean as part of the overturning circulation, or flow alongside regions of deep water formation without impacting overturning. Climate models suggest that as increasing amounts of freshwater enter the Atlantic, the overturning circulation will be disrupted, yet we lack an understanding of how much freshwater is mixed into the overturning circulation’s deep limb in the present day. To constrain these freshwater pathways, we build steady-state volume, salt, and heat budgets east of Greenland that are initialized with observations and closed using inverse methods. Freshwater sources are split into oceanic Polar Waters from the Arctic and surface freshwater fluxes, which include net precipitation, runoff, and ice melt, to examine how they imprint the circulation differently. We find that 65 mSv (1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1) of the total 110 mSv of surface freshwater fluxes that enter our domain participate in the overturning circulation, as do 0.6 Sv of the total 1.2 Sv of Polar Waters that flow through Fram Strait. Based on these results, we hypothesize that the overturning circulation is more sensitive to future changes in Arctic freshwater outflow and precipitation, while Greenland runoff and iceberg melt are more likely to stay along the coast of Greenland.

Description: We gratefully acknowledge the U.S. National Science Foundation: this work was supported by Grants OCE-1258823, OCE-1756272, OCE-1948335, and OCE-2038481. L.H.S. thanks the U.S. Norway Fulbright Foundation for the Norwegian Arctic Chair Grant 2019-20 that made the visit to Scripps Institution of Oceanography possible. N.P.H. acknowledges support by the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) National Capability program CLASS (NE/R015953/1), and Grants U.K.-OSNAP (NE/K010875/1, NE/K010875/2) and U.K.-OSNAP Decade (NE/T00858X/1). We acknowledge the World Climate Research Programme, which, through its Working Group on Coupled Modelling, coordinated and promoted CMIP6.

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2021. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 51(7), (2021): 2087–2102, https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-20-0255.1.

Description: The boundary current system in the Labrador Sea plays an integral role in modulating convection in the interior basin. Four years of mooring data from the eastern Labrador Sea reveal persistent mesoscale variability in the West Greenland boundary current. Between 2014 and 2018, 197 middepth intensified cyclones were identified that passed the array near the 2000-m isobath. In this study, we quantify these features and show that they are the downstream manifestation of Denmark Strait Overflow Water (DSOW) cyclones. A composite cyclone is constructed revealing an average radius of 9 km, maximum azimuthal speed of 24 cm s−1, and a core propagation velocity of 27 cm s−1. The core propagation velocity is significantly smaller than upstream near Denmark Strait, allowing them to trap more water. The cyclones transport a 200-m-thick lens of dense water at the bottom of the water column and increase the transport of DSOW in the West Greenland boundary current by 17% relative to the background flow. Only a portion of the features generated at Denmark Strait make it to the Labrador Sea, implying that the remainder are shed into the interior Irminger Sea, are retroflected at Cape Farewell, or dissipate. A synoptic shipboard survey east of Cape Farewell, conducted in summer 2020, captured two of these features that shed further light on their structure and timing. This is the first time DSOW cyclones have been observed in the Labrador Sea—a discovery that could have important implications for interior stratification.

Description: A. P. and R. S. P. were funded by National Science Foundation Grants OCE-1259618 and OCE-1756361. I. L. B. and F. S. were funded by National Science Foundation Grants OCE-1258823 and OCE-1756272. N. P. H. was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council U.K. OSNAP program (NE/K010875/1 and NE/K010700/1). M. A. S. was supported by NSF Grants OCE-1558742 and OPP-1822334.

Description: 2021-12-08

Description: Author Posting. © American Meteorological Society, 2022. This article is posted here by permission of American Meteorological Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Physical Oceanography 52(4), (2022): 597–616, https://doi.org/10.1175/jpo-d-21-0121.1.

Description: We provide a first-principles analysis of the energy fluxes in the oceanic internal wave field. The resulting formula is remarkably similar to the renowned phenomenological formula for the turbulent dissipation rate in the ocean, which is known as the finescale parameterization. The prediction is based on the wave turbulence theory of internal gravity waves and on a new methodology devised for the computation of the associated energy fluxes. In the standard spectral representation of the wave energy density, in the two-dimensional vertical wavenumber–frequency (m–ω) domain, the energy fluxes associated with the steady state are found to be directed downscale in both coordinates, closely matching the finescale parameterization formula in functional form and in magnitude. These energy transfers are composed of a “local” and a “scale-separated” contributions; while the former is quantified numerically, the latter is dominated by the induced diffusion process and is amenable to analytical treatment. Contrary to previous results indicating an inverse energy cascade from high frequency to low, at odds with observations, our analysis of all nonzero coefficients of the diffusion tensor predicts a direct energy cascade. Moreover, by the same analysis fundamental spectra that had been deemed “no-flux” solutions are reinstated to the status of “constant-downscale-flux” solutions. This is consequential for an understanding of energy fluxes, sources, and sinks that fits in the observational paradigm of the finescale parameterization, solving at once two long-standing paradoxes that had earned the name of “oceanic ultraviolet catastrophe.”

Description: The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the ONR Grant N00014-17-1-2852. YL gratefully acknowledges support from NSF DMS Award 2009418.

Description: 2022-09-25

Description: Flyer for the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS)

Description: Australian Government

Description: OPENASFA INPUT

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed

Description: Central America lies between two oceans, the Pacific and the Atlantic through the Caribbean Sea. Although it has no records of great earthquakes (~8.0 to 9.0), a tsunami catalogue based on historical references for Central America lists more than 50 entries. Tsunamis caused damage and casualties in 1882 off the Caribbean coast of Panama, in 1991 in Costa Rica and Panama and in 1992 in the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. Coastal population has vastly increased in recent decades, along with tourism, increasing total exposure to tsunami. The outcomes of this meeting, organized by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), are initially intended to contribute with sound science inputs to the project "Building resilient communities and integrated Early Warning Systems for tsunamis and other ocean related hazards in Central America", funded by the European Commission's Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department (ECHO) implemented by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and national counterparts in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, in close cooperation with Panama and Costa Rica.

Description: OpenASFA input

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Description: Non Refereed

Description: There have been spectacular advances in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years, leading to inventions that we had never thought possible. Computers and robots now have the capacity to learn how to improve their own work, and even make decisions – this is done through an algorithm, of course, and without individual consciousness. All the same, we must not fail to ask some questions. Can a machine think? Towards a global code of ethics for artificial intelligence research © Evgenija Demnievska (evgenijademnievska.com) What is an AI capable of at this stage of its evolution? To what degree is it autonomous? Where does that leave human decision-making? More than ushering in a Fourth Industrial Revolution, AI is provoking a cultural revolution. It is undeniably destined to transform our future, but we don’t know exactly how, yet. This is why it inspires both fascination and fear. In this issue, the Courier presents its investigation to the reader, elaborating on several aspects of this cutting-edge technology at the frontiers of computer science, engineering and philosophy. It sets the record straight on a number of points along the way. Because, let’s be clear – as things stand, the AI cannot think. And we are very far from being able to download all the components of a human being into a computer! A robot obeys a set of routines that allows it to interact with us humans, but outside the very precise framework within which it is supposed to interact, it cannot forge a genuine social relationship. Even so, some of AI’s applications are already questionable – data collection that intrudes on privacy, facial recognition algorithms that are supposed to identify hostile behaviour or are imbued with racial prejudice, military drones and autonomous lethal weapons, etc. The ethical problems that AI raises – and will undoubtedly continue to raise tomorrow, with greater gravity – are numerous. While research is moving full speed ahead on the technical side of AI, not much headway has been made on the ethical front. Though many researchers have expressed concern about this, and some countries are starting to give it serious thought, there is no legal framework to guide future research on ethics on a global scale. “It is our responsibility to lead a universal and enlightened debate in order to enter this new era with our eyes wide open, without sacrificing our values, and to make it possible to establish a common global foundation of ethical principles,” says Director- General Audrey Azoulay, of UNESCO’s role, in this issue of the Courier (see pp. 37-39). An international regulatory instrument is essential for the responsible development of AI, a task that UNESCO is in the process of undertaking. The Courier lends this initiative its support, by exploring different avenues of thought on the subject.

Description: OPENASFA INPUT

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Description: Refereed

Description: The International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE)1 programme of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO2 maintains a global network of National Oceanographic Data Centres (NODC) and Associate Data Units (ADU) responsible for the collection, quality control, archive, and online publication of many millions of ocean and marine observations which are made available to Member States. In addition, it coordinates a network of marine information (library) managers. The IODE Committee has long held the view that there is a need for a quality management framework to ensure that NODCs and ADUs are established and operate according to defined principles, including adherence to agreed standards and the requirements of the IOC Oceanographic Data Exchange Policy. This will ensure NODCs and ADUs are able to provide data of known quality to meet the requirements of a broad community of users.

Description: OpenASFA input

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Description: Not Known

Description: This report reports on the establishment and working of the Advisory Group during its first session. This working group is a very good opportunity for the WESTPAC experts in the date and communication field to get together to constructively find a way to promote the project.

Description: OpenASFA input

Description: Published

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Description: Through Decisions EC-XLVII/6.2 and XXVIII/5.1, IOC decided to establish an Intersessional Working Group and to support the production of the Global Ocean Science Report, which presents baseline information on human and technical capacities, infrastructure and investment, as well as impacts of ocean science at the global and national level. The Global Ocean Science Report (GOSR) was published in June 2017 where the Executive Secretary launched it at the United Nations “Oceans Conference” on 8 June 2017 in six languages. It includes information gathered from Member States via questionnaires, a bibliometric analysis, as well as other published resources. As acknowledged by the Inter-agency Expert Group on SDG Indicators (IAEG-SDG), part of the information provided in the GOSR contains the data needed to report towards the SDG target 14.a for increasing scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, and IOC was decided to be the custodian agency for the indicator 14.a.1. Continued support by IOC Member States would allow assessing the status of ocean science capacities, infrastructure and output in a regular analysis (each 4-5 years). In addition an endorsement by the IOC Assembly will enable and support Member States to submit and access the national data through the development of a GOSR data repository and data portal.

Description: OPENASFA INPUT Restricted Distribution; Item 5.1 of the Provisional Agenda of the 29th Session of the IOC Assembly held at UNESCO/IOC Headquarters in Paris between 21 and 29 June 2017.

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed

Description: This document prepared by the Secretariat illustrates the continuous alignment and synergies between the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) and relevant programmes and activities of the IOC, in particular the High-Level Objectives and Functions of IOC defined in its Medium-term Strategy and the Outcomes set out in the Decade Implementation Plan. This information is particularly noteworthy as the Ocean Decade has now received endorsement by the UN General Assembly at its 75th session in December 2021.

Description: OPENASFA INPUT

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed

Description: For many years now, we have known we were running out of time to stop and revert the decline of ocean health and start managing the ocean in a sustainable way. The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development is an initiative of all and for all stakeholders, embracing natural and social science disciplines, local and indigenous knowledge, science policy and innovation interfaces, technology and infrastructure, aimed to achieve sustainable management of the ocean and development. This Decade will be transformative and will create a paradigm shift in the generation of ocean related knowledge, based on the principles of synergies, co design and co development of actions towards the agreed goals in a multi-stakeholder environment From the very outset, data and information have been recognized between the key issues cutting across all other elements and dimensions of the Decade. The Decade will facilitate the exchange of ocean knowledge between generators and diverse users of ocean knowledge through new data, information and knowledge platforms and services. Amongst the identified outcomes, outcome #6 tackles an accessible ocean with open and equitable access to data, information, technology, and innovation, improving access to and quality control of data, knowledge and technology. Data and information is further referred to in two of the challenges identified in the implementation plan, namely Challenge 8: “Through multi-stakeholder collaboration, develop a comprehensive digital representation of the ocean, including a dynamic ocean map, which provides free and open access for exploring, discovering, and visualizing past, current, and future ocean conditions in a manner relevant to diverse stakeholders” and Challenge 9: “Ensure comprehensive capacity development and equitable access to data, information, knowledge and technology across all aspects of ocean science and for all stakeholders”. We have now an opportunity to build together a community of ocean related data and information practitioners that shares resources, experiences, guidelines, tools, ways of addressing recurring problems. In short, a shared practice, so we can address together, efficiently, and effectively, the challenges of the Decade.

Description: For bibliographic purposes this document should be cited as follows: UNESCO/IOC. 2020. International data sharing workshop for non-UN IGOs, Global and Regional organizations and projects, NGOs and private sector, Online meeting, 12 October 2020. Paris, UNESCO, 42 pp. (IOC Workshop Report No. 290) (English).

Description: OPENASFA INPUT

Description: Published

Description: Refereed

Description: This document was initially prepared in April 2020 by Dr M. A. Atmanand, Chairman of the IOC Regional Committee of the Central Indian Ocean (IOCINDIO), pursuant to IOC Assembly Decision IOC-XXX/3.3.4 (Paris, 26 June–4 July 2019) to consider the transformation of IOCINDIO, an IOC Regional Committee, into an IOC Sub-commission. The document benefitted from inputs from IOCINDIO Vice-chairpersons Faiza Al-Yamani, Kuwait, Mohammad Muslem Uddin, Bangladesh, and Satish S. C. Shenoi, IOC Vice-Chairperson, Electoral Group IV. The document was originally intended as a working document for the consideration of the Executive Council in 2020 before its postponement as a virtual session with a limited agenda in February 2021. Upon further reflection of the authors with the IOC Chair and senior staff of the Secretariat, a broad and inclusive consultation on this subject among IOC Member States was initiated through a virtual meeting (see IOC Circular Letter 2824) and a discussion at the next IOCINDIO session during the first quarter 2021. The progress on this issue will be reported by the Executive Secretary in his report to the Executive Council -53 and through a working document for the consideration of the Assembly in June 2021.

Description: OPENASFA INPUT

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed

Description: This event entitled “Verso la Generazione Oceano” (Towards the Generation Ocean) was the first initiative organized in Italy to present the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (hereinafter the “Decade”). It was held on 22 October 2020 in Milan, Italy. Its goal was to illustrate to the Italian stakeholders the objectives and the plans of the Decade in order to pave the way for the creation of the Generation Ocean campaign (#versolagenerazioneoceano) that will be developed in Italy in 2021. Moreover, this event was organized with the aim to work with different stakeholders and sectors of the society in start developing ideas to be implemented during the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2031). This event was planned to take place in May 2020 and the preparatory work started in January 2020. However, due to the Covid-19 outbreak, it was postponed and rescheduled as a digital event to 22 October 2020. Nutrition, oxygen, energy, work, health: everything that allows us to live is linked to the ocean. To promote greater knowledge, conservation and sustainable use of the ocean and its resources, the United Nations declared 2021-2030 "Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development". The Decade aims to mobilise the scientific community, policymakers, business and civil society around a collaborative research and technological innovation programme. It will enable the coordination of research programmes, observation systems, capacity building, maritime spatial planning, and marine risk reduction, to improve the management of ocean and coastal zone resources. The Decade of Ocean Sciences should accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 for the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean, seas and marine resources. The goal is also to create together “the ocean we need, for the future we want”. With this in mind, the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO) represented by its Executive Secretary, Dr Vladimir Ryabinin, organised a popular event "Towards the Generation Ocean" to present in Italy the Decade of Ocean Science. In collaboration with various partners, the event aims to initiate a movement that gives voice to the importance of having a resilient ocean, a productive ocean and a healthy ocean. The event focussed on three great challenges: "climate change, food safety and human health". From the No’hma theatre in Milan, “Towards the Generation Ocean” gathered virtually from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., researchers, professionals, sustainable entrepreneurs, and also chefs, musicians, journalists and experts from various sectors of society. The time to act is now and we must act together! was the message. The event was an initiative dedicated to the role of marine scientific research as an essential tool to ensure the health of the planet and the announcement of a new era represented by the "Generation Ocean". It strived to spread greater awareness of the importance of the ocean and to promote innovative solutions to the challenges we will face in the coming years. At the end of the morning, the event hosted the award ceremony of Oceanthon, the digital hackathon aimed at students, researchers, developers, experts in communication, economics, marketing and design, participating in the design of innovative ideas for the conservation of the ocean. The highlight of the mobilisation event was the presentation of the Oceanthon Prize by Davide Villa, CMO and Board Member of E.ON Italia to the winning “River Cleaner” project by Blue Eco Line startup. The initiative mobilized institutions, companies, non-profit organizations, media and popular people with great interest in the objectives of the Decade. All of them are called to become the promoters of specific initiatives and helper of the IOC as coordinator of the Decade in raising awareness, and facilitating stakeholders’ commitments for the Decade. See related web article: https://en.unesco.org/news/towards-generation-ocean-united-create-ocean-we-need-future-we-want .

Description: OPENASFA INPUT For bibliographic purposes this document should be cited as follows: UNESCO-IOC. 2020. Italian Digital Mobilization Event for the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development: “Towards the Generation Ocean”, 22 October 2020, Milan, Italy. Paris, UNESCO, (Workshop Reports, 292).

Description: Published

Description: Not Known

Description: The project 'Supporting internationally accepted maritime spatial planning guidance' - MSPglobal for short - is an initiative by UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO) and the European Commission's Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) to support their Joint Roadmap to Accelerate Marine / Maritime Spatial Planning processes worldwide (MSProadmap) (#OceanAction15346). Launched in November 2018 for a period of three years, MSPglobal aims to support international marine/maritime spatial planning (MSP) for the sustainable development of the blue economy, by enhancing cross-border and transboundary cooperation where it already exists and promoting MSP processes in areas where it is yet to be put in place. More specifically, it seeks to: - Develop a guidance on cross-border and transboundary MSP; - Increase awareness among governmental authorities and stakeholders about the importance of MSP; - Initiate an institutional coordinate dialogue between governmental authorities at regional, national and local levels, and - Increase cooperation between stakeholders. By providing the context for active and effective participation of policy-makers, scientists, businesses, citizens and other stakeholder, MSPglobal aims to improve governance at multiple levels and achieve an ecosystem-based approach in support of the blue economy. Doing so will require transparant data and information, sharing of best practices and new knowledge to inform, guide and support MSP at global scale.

Description: European Union

Description: OPENASFA INPUT This publication should be cited as follows: UNESCO/IOC. 2021. MSPglobal - Compendium of existing and emerging cross-border and transboundary MSP practices. Paris, UNESCO. (IOC/INF-1935).

Description: Published

Description: Refereed

Description: As a changing climate alters ocean conditions, the redistribution of marine ecosystem services and benefits will affect maritime activities and societal value chains. While the magnitude of the effects will be diverse and region-specific and vary across sectors, both humans and nature will be subjected to increasing and intense negative impacts. Furthermore, the impacts of a changing climate on maritime economies are yet largely unknown and there are uncertainties and limitations of climate and ocean management options, which are at a very early or experimental stage. Significant gaps in technical, institutional and financial capacities for climate change adaptation between developed and developing countries exist, pointing to an imbalanced response to the global climate crisis. Marine/Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) is being developed and implemented worldwide as a way to foster sustainable ocean use and management. The spatial and temporal distribution of human uses in marine spaces through MSP aims to minimise conflicts and promote synergies among uses, as well as between uses and the environment. In addition to the many environmental and socio-economic challenges which MSP seeks to address, a changing climate must now be included. Mainstreaming climate change into MSP will allow for improved preparedness and response, as well as reduced vulnerability of marine systems. “Climate-smart MSP” refers to planning initiatives in the ocean space which integrate and may adapt to the effects of a changing climate. For MSP to become “climate-smart”, data and knowledge on the pathways through which climate change impacts marine ecosystems and human uses are needed at appropriate spatial scales. These should address the inherent uncertainties in planning scenarios themselves with regard to climate change, particularly in relation to their ability to adapt to changing ocean conditions. In this regard, the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) will play a key role, as one of its main objectives is filling the significant remaining gaps in marine knowledge, including the effects of climate change. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and other spatial marine management tools can also be used to promote specific adaptation-relevant features, while climate literacy can help build capacities and facilitate behavioural change to better cope with climate-related challenges. Increasing the knowledge base on the impacts of a changing climate is necessary. This includes building evidence on the uses most vulnerable to the effects of climate change and integrating their possible spatial relocation in MSP; knowledge on conservation priority species and keystone ecosystem components and including them in impact analysis assessments to promote their sustainability and resilience; and an understanding of the social and economic implications of climate change, particularly in communities highly dependent on marine resources for their livelihoods. It is also necessary to raise awareness on the effects of a changing climate on marine ecosystems and maritime activities, and fostering new behaviours and social norms in local communities to improve knowledge and skills on opportunities for sustainable mitigation and adaptation options, for enhancing climate literacy and promoting sustainable actions at the local level. This involves integrating strategic climate objectives into overall sustainable development and environmental policies using climate-smart, nature-inclusive MSP as a common framework for setting up meaningful and effective actions across regions, which may be achieved through establishing interdisciplinary MSP networks. Practical adaptation and mitigation strategies at appropriate scales, using fit-for-purpose, spatially explicit and operationally mature nature-based solutions, as well as strategic investments to achieve long-term visions reflected in climate-smart, nature-inclusive spatial plans, are also required.

Description: European Union (DG MARE)

Description: OPENASFA INPUT

Description: Published

Description: Refereed

Description: The Integrated Ocean Carbon Research (IOC-R) programme is a formal working group of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) that was formed in 2018 in response to the United Nations (UN) Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), “the Decade.” The IOC-R will contribute to the science elements of the overarching Implementation Plan for the Decade1. The Implementation Plan is a high-level framework to guide actions by which ocean science can more effectively deliver its contribution and co-development with other entities to achieve the societal outcomes outlined in the Decade plan and the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the UN. Knowledge of the ocean carbon cycle is critical in light of its role in sequestering CO2 from the atmosphere and for meeting goals and targets such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Paris Agreement, the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the associated UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Increasing levels of CO2 in the ocean, predominantly due to human greenhouse gas emissions, and the partitioning of CO2 into organic and inorganic species have fundamental impacts on ocean carbon cycling and ecosystem health. The Integrated Ocean Carbon Research (IOC-R) effort aims to address key issues in ocean carbon research through investigative and observational goals. It takes advantage of the appreciable knowledge gained from studies over the last four decades of the ocean carbon cycle and its perturbations. IOC-R addresses the clear and urgent need to better understand and quantify the ocean carbon cycle in an integrative fashion in light of the rapid changes that are currently occurring and will occur in the near future. IOC-R can make significant breakthroughs, capitalizing on advances in modeling, data assimilation, remote sensing, and new in situ observing technologies, including novel biological observing techniques, artificial intelligence, and the use of bioinformatics. This IOC-R vision reflects an increasing appreciation for the significant role the ocean carbon cycle has on global well-being now and in the future, and for the critical need to study and monitor it in a holistic fashion.

Description: OPENASFA INPUT The complete report should be cited as follows: IOC-R. 2021. Integrated Ocean Carbon Research: A Summary of Ocean Carbon Research, and Vision of Coordinated Ocean Carbon Research and Observations for the Next Decade. R. Wanninkhof, C. Sabine and S. Aricò (eds.). Paris, UNESCO. 46 pp. (IOC Technical Series, 158 Rev.) doi:10.25607/h0gj-pq41.

Description: Published

Description: Refereed

Description: The holistic methodology DRIFT (Downstream Response to Imposed Flow Transformations) and four other ecological flow methods (Tennant Modified for Mexico, IHA, Multivariate Analysis and PHABSIM) were used to calculate the environmental flow in the Río Verde (Oaxaca). The results indicate similar values for the flows calculated with the different methods. The multidisciplinary integration of biophysical information (hydrology, hydrodynamics, geohydrology, topography, aquatic and terrestrial vegetation, soil, water quality, ichthyology, entomology, hydrophytes, mangrove) and socioeconomic information (waste, risks, irrigation, technification and temporality Agriculture, industrial and agricultural activities, transit areas, planted areas, customs, culture, migration, employment and tourism) of the Río Verde, in relation to the evaluation and projection of environmental flows (for the dry and wet season) as a measure of Management and mitigation of environmental impacts in the “Paso de la Reina” dam project were considered. The recommended ecological flows in (m3 / s) were: Extreme Low Flows from 12.75 to 30.0; Small Flows from 32.1 to 70.15; High Flows from 150 to 260; High Flow Pulses from 350 to 500; Small Floods 548.52 to 1000 and Large Floods from 3000 to 4000.Flow strategy covering frequency characteristics, length of time to maintain hydraulic conditions, channel geometry, sediment types, water balance at the mouth, and distribution of terrestrial and aquatic organisms along the river. The consequences of partial or total alteration of the environmental flow components are described. Likewise, the multidisciplinary analysis generated the environmental flow scenarios, in relation to a certain condition of ecological status for the river and the analyzed species, as well as the impact assessments, mitiga- tion measures and management plans of the Rio Verde basin.

Description: OPENASFA INPUT

Description: Published

Description: Refereed

Description: Organized by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO and the Directorate -General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission, the 2nd international Conference on Marine/Maritime Spatial Planning brought together more than 350 experts from all regions of the world. Marine/Maritime Spatial Planning is described as the process that consists in regulating human activities in the waters border- ing coastal areas in order to preserve marine ecosystems, avoid conflicts between sectors of commercial and industrial activity, and promote international cooperation. The conference provided an opportunity to take stock of ex- isting experiences in marine spatial planning (MSP), exchange of best practices, encourage cooperation among countries sharing coastal and marine waters and establish priorities for the years to come.

Description: OPENASFA INPUT

Description: Published

Description: Refereed

Description: This report is an output of the Large Marine Ecosystems component of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Transboundary Waters Assessment Programme (TWAP)(2013-2015). TWAP conducted indicator-based assessments for transboundary water systems in five categories: aquifers, rivers, lakes, Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) and Open Oceans. These included assessment of governance arrangements and overall architecture for transboundary systems. This report covers the arrangements for LMEs, while its companion (Volume 2) covers arrangement for Open Ocean with a focus on Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ). Each report is summarised as a chapter in the overall assessment report for the respective water category (Open Ocean and LME).

Description: OpenASFA input

Description: Published

Description: Not Known

Description: The last several years have seen a discernible shift in global priorities towards advancing the concept of sustainable development. In particular, the establishment of the post-2015 development agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the UN General Assembly points towards an integrated plan towards tackling global challenges. The goals seek to protect and improve five key areas of the world including people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership. The intent of this paper is to emphasize the vital role that transboundary water cooperation plays in global development, and to map out the relationship that this cooperation has with the other goals. Existing and emerging rules and institutions have been developed in international law to minimise, and where possible halt, negative consequences stemming from poor management of transboundary waters. SDG 6 provides for an important spotlight on improving water and sanitation, however for the context of global development it is crucial for water management to be interpreted and actionably combined with the other relevant SDGs, rather than curtailed as an individual entity. From direct linkages to indirect references, transboundary water cooperation is intrinsically connected to several other principles of sustainable development reflected in the goals and targets, including environment, energy, and food amongst others, and therefore must be viewed as an integral piece of global water management. Furthermore, Target 6.5 requires a set of two indicators in order to fully capture the importance of both integrated water resources management (IWRM) and transboundary water cooperation in the implementation of the SDGs. It is paramount that an indicator is retained solely for the transboundary water cooperation element embedded in Target 6.5. This paper advocates for an indicator that should be broad enough to reward also cooperative frameworks aimed at developing a sound system of exchange of information, and not only fully fledged IWRM systems. This is particularly important in the context of transboundary aquifers governance, where many of the cooperative frameworks being discussed are at a very initial stage. The indicator can be reviewed throughout the implementation of the SDGs, especially in relation to the quantity and quality of the information that needs to be exchanged in order to meet the indicator. UNESCO-IHP and UNECE can play an important role, together with other members of UN Water, in monitoring this much needed indicator.

Description: OPENASFA INPUT

Description: Published

Description: Not Known

Description: In recent years, the Caribbean region has faced challenges from oil spills and an influx of floating sargassum seaweed. Large-scale oil spill incidents have included an April 2017 spill at Pointe-à-Pierre, Trinidad and Tobago and a July 2017 oil spill in Kingston Harbor, Jamaica. Illegal dumping of oil-contaminated waste by ships operating in the region is also a common occurrence. An increase in the frequency and volume of sargassum beachings and coastal overabundance has caused another challenge for the region with mats preventing the deployment and retrieval of fishing gear and clogging popular beaches, harbors and bays. Based on the amounts of Sargassum detected in the Central West Atlantic and the Caribbean and in January–April 2018, researchers at the University of South Florida (USF) predict high amounts of Sargassum in Caribbean in coming months. In response to these challenges, a meeting of 40 experts from 15 countries was held in May f this year to discuss sargassum and oil spill monitoring in the Caribbean and Adjacent egions. The participants included representatives from various United Nations entities, academia, governments, private companies and international initiatives. The workshop was organized by IOCARIBE of IOC UNESCO and its Global Ocean Observing System Regional Alliance, IOCARIBE-GOOS, and the GEO Blue Planet Initiative, and hosted by the Ministry of Education of Mexico and Mexico National Council of Sciences. The overarching goal of the workshop was to develop a plan for the development of a region-wide system for monitoring and forecasting oil spills and sargassum presence. At the workshop, experts reviewed the existing technologies and challenges for monitoring and forecasting oil spills and sargassum in the Caribbean and adjacent regions and ultimately drafted a plan to create an information system based on existing efforts. It was determined that the objective of the information service will be to provide a publicly available monitoring platform and alerting system for oil spills and sargassum based on publically available data (e.g. satellite data and in situ data from countries with open data sharing policies). The service will initially be based on existing technologies and activities, working to augment and improve the framework for information management and delivery and mechanisms for the region and demonstrate the utility of ocean observations and products. It was agreed that the initial development of the service would be done by partner organizations, and the NOAA CoastWatch program and the Caribbean Marine Atlas volunteered to host service components initially. The long-term goal is to have the information service coordinated and built upon by a regional body in a model similar to that of the International Tsunami Information Centre.

Description: Government of Mexico

Description: Government of Flanders

Description: NOAA

Description: Published

Description: Not Known

Description: This document outlines a framework for communication activities for 2015-2017 identifying new objectives while building on previous outcomes. It acknowledges the need to broaden the understanding of MIM by the wider IODE Data Management community and identify robust mechanisms, which will improve communication between IODE Officers and GE- MIM and with other relevant agencies in marine information management. This strategy will underpin the ability of GE-MIM to effectively raise its’ profile and ensure that there is an acknowledgement of the role of GE-MIM and the marine information profession and its potential contribution to the work of IODE. In this way, communications will directly contribute to the fulfilment of IODE programme goals and objectives with the aim to further build GE-MIM reputation and the credibility and relevance of its’ actions by formulating and disseminating messages on the activities and concerns of GE-MIM. Effective communications will allow GE-MIM to disseminate these outcomes in a targeted and efficient manner, thereby promoting marine information management.

Description: OpenASFA input

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed

Description: The Ecohydrology Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) aims to prepare a global strategy and vision for the next 4 years of IHP phase 8 (ending in 2021), and start planning and considering, in light of the new global water agendas, the role that Ecohydrology could play in the next phase of IHP 9 (starting in 2022). This meeting will be attended by several Category 2 Water related Centres and Water Chairs working in Ecohydrology, by UNESCO Regional Hydrologists, and representatives from all Regions. Youth participation is also encouraged, and a dedicated session on “Early Career Researchers in Ecohydrology” is part of the events. The Ecohydrology programme benefits from a Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) to guide the IHP Secretariat on strategic directions, new dimensions, activities, programme execution, and communication of scientific and practical way forward. The SAC is composed of representatives of Category 2 Centres under the auspices of UNESCO (C2C), water-related UNESCO Chairs and Regional Focal Points: • The European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology (ERCE, Poland) • The International Centre for Coastal Ecohydrology (ICCE, Portugal) • The African Regional Centre for Ecohydrology (ARCE, Ethiopia) • The Asia Pacific Centre for Ecohydrology (APCE, Indonesia) • The IHE Delft Chair in Ecohydrology, the Netherlands • The UNESCO Water Chair in Ecohydrology and Hydroinformatics, China • The UNESCO Water Chair in Ecohydrology Water Ecosystem for Societies, Portugal • The Focal point for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The Committee will address the following topics: 1. Report on current and past global activities (particularly during the period 2014-2017) 2. Ecohydrology Demosites updates and new publications. 3. Discussion on future activities and strategies (including UNESCO Priority Africa and Gender). 4. Engage in a dialogue on scientific challenges to achieve the water-related SDGs involving visions from young researchers and professionals. Expected outcomes: dentifying gaps and opportunities in the dissemination the Ecohydrology concept and potential research and scientific questions for future strategies. 2. Highlighting the role of international networks working with ecohydrological solution-oriented approaches for the enhancement of ecosystem services for the benefit of societies in demonstration sites. 3. Identifying region priorities and showcasing innovative solutions and adaptation strategies to address water security challenges, including interlinkages with both UNESCO Programmes (MAB) and other international ones. 4. General strategy to include ecohydrological concepts in national development plans, with priority in Africa.

Description: Published

Description: Not Known

Description: Pursuant to 200 EX/Decision 5.I.B and 38 C/Resolution 19, the Director-General submits to the General Conference this information document which contains a summary of progress made in the implementation of the MAB Strategy 2015-2025 and the Lima Action Plan for UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme and its World Network of Biosphere Reserves 2016-2025. Notably, this document includes information recently collected for and presented at the 29th session of the International Co-ordinating Council of the Man and Biosphere Programme held from 12 to 15 June 2017 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. The Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme Strategy 2015-2025 (“the MAB Strategy") was endorsed by the 38th session of the General Conference (38 C/Resolution 19) following a broad and transparent consultation process and the collective contributions of many Member States under the auspices of the MAB International Coordinating Council (MAB ICC). Through 38 C/Resolution 19, the General Conference also encouraged the MAB ICC, in cooperation with the MAB Secretariat, to finalize the development of the Lima Action Plan for UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme and its World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) 2016-2025 (“Lima Action Plan”) in support of the MAB Strategy, and requested the Director-General to present to the Executive Board, at its 200th session, a progress report on the implementation of the MAB Strategy and the associated Lima Action Plan, including their contribution to the implementation and follow-up of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. At its 200th session, the Executive Board expressed its appreciation to the Director-General for the report and to Peru for hosting the Lima Congress and the 28th MAB ICC (14-17 March 2016, Lima, Peru). The Executive Board then endorsed the Lima Action Plan as adopted and endorsed respectively by the 28th MAB ICC and the Lima Congress and requested the Director-General to present a progress report on the implementation of the MAB Strategy for 2015-2025 and the Lima Action Plan to the 39th session of the General Conference (200 EX/Decision 5.I.B). The requested progress report is contained in the present document. Relevant information can also be found in the report of the MAB ICC on its activities (2016-2017) contained in document 39 C/REP/10. For ease of reference, the complete texts of the MAB Strategy, the Lima Action Plan and the Lima Congress Declaration are available in a single publication (in the six official languages of UNESCO) entitled “A New Roadmap for the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme and its World Network of Biosphere Reserves”.

Description: OPENASFA INPUT Report submitted for information to the UNESCO General Conference, 39th Session, Paris, 2017.

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed

Description: During the second meeting of the Group of Experts on Capacity Development (GE-CD), a task team was established to conduct a review of the IOC Capacity Development Strategy 2015–2021, which is expiring at the end of December 2021. This information document presents a summary of the task team’s review, articulating the main elements that would justify a revision of the current Strategy: mainly the challenges and objectives promoted by the UN Ocean Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) and the outcomes of the 2nd GE-CD survey. Feedback from consultations with other global and regional programmes were also considered in developing the recommendations contained in this report. Based on this analysis, the Task Team recommends that the GE-CD continue its work on revising the IOC CD Strategy for the period 2023–2030, extending the current Strategy until 2023.

Description: OPENASFA INUT

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed

Description: In 2017, the UNESCO General Conference adopted the Strategy for Action on Climate Change (SACC) which outlined UNESCO’s four-point strategy to support Member States adapt to climate change and mitigate its effects on their citizens and territories over the period 2018-2021. As the Strategy comes to an end, the Organization has commissioned an evaluation to assess its effectiveness and determine whether it should be renewed. Owing to its careful alignment with existing international reference frameworks in the area of climate change, in particular the 2015 Paris Agreement, the Strategy has successfully positioned UNESCO as a contributor in this field and the Organization’s insights on climate change within the framework of its specific areas of expertise is valued by partners and Member States alike. In the 3 years of the Strategy’s existence, the Organization produced knowledge products and undertook multiple interventions, especially targeting UNESCO’s priority groups (Africa, women, indigenous peoples, SIDS, youth) and ensuring their involvement in policy development and trainings. However, it is difficult to measure the effects of these activities or even attribute their results to the SACC specifically. Indeed, while the SACC has had the merit of giving UNESCO the political legitimacy and strategic guidance to act on climate-related issues, most of these activities were embedded in UNESCO’s existing programmes and have been largely reported against the different Major Programmes’ and IOC’s expected results. This is further amplified by the lack of a dedicated budget to implement the Strategy, which has led to an overreliance on ad hoc fundraising efforts to attract extrabudgetary resources and diverging implementation strategies depending on local context and Sectors’ priorities. Although the SACC aimed to encourage greater in-house cooperation to achieve its objectives, the evaluation found that, despite the existence of a large cross-sectoral Task Team, the SACC has failed to fully foster intersectoriality. As a result, whilst UNESCO has registered significant achievements and made important contributions, its action on climate change has not necessarily been cohesive.

Description: OPENASFA INPUT

Description: Published

Description: Refereed

Description: In 2017, the UN General Assembly declared the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). It has entrusted IOC-UNESCO with the design and delivery of the Decade to ensure that ocean science is indeed underpinning sustainable ocean management and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda more broadly. Fulfilling its mandate as trustee of the Ocean Decade, as well as delivering on a growing list of additional roles, in an oceanographic space that is both expanding and increasingly crowded, establishes an important opportunity but also an overarching challenge for IOC-UNESCO. In the context of the upcoming UN Decade of the Ocean, the IOC-UNESCO agreed with the Internal Oversight Service (IOS) on the merit of conducting an evaluation of its strategic positioning within the UN system and the broader landscape of ocean-related actors and programmes, taking into account relevant enabling policy frameworks to which the work of the Commission responds.

Description: OPENASFA INPUT Published by UNESCO's Internal Oversight Service.

Description: Published

Description: Not Known

Description: This Scientific Summary on Multiple Ocean Stressors for Policy Makers offers a reference for all concerned stakeholders to understand and discuss all types of ocean stressors. This document will help coordinate action to better understand how multiple stressors interact and how the cumulative pressures they cause can be tackled and managed. It is a first step towards increased socio-ecological resilience to multiple ocean stressors (Figure 1). Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM)1 recognizes the complex and interconnected nature of ecosystems, and the integral role of humans in these ecosystems. EBM integrates ecological, social and governmental principles. It considers the tradeoffs and interactions between ocean stakeholders (e.g. fishing, shipping, energy extraction) and their goals, while addressing the reduction of conflicts and the negative cumulative impacts of human activities on ecosystem resilience and sustainability. Thus, EBM is an ideal science-based approach for managing the impacts of cumulative stressors on marine ecosystems. The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030; Ocean Decade), which is based on a multi-stakeholder consultative process, identified 10 Ocean Decade Challenges. Challenge 2: Understand the effects of multiple stressors on ocean ecosystems, and develop solutions to monitor, protect, manage and restore ecosystems and their biodiversity under changing environmental, social and climate conditions addresses the overall outcomes of the Decade. In particular, outcomes aimed at a clean, healthy and resilient, safe and predicted, sustainably harvested and productive, and accessible ocean, with open and equitable access to data, information and technology and innovation by 2030. This Scientific Summary for Policy Makers is also a call to action underlining the urgency to understand, model and manage multiple ocean stressors now. We cannot manage what we do not understand, and we cannot be efficient without prioritization of ocean actions appropriate to the place and time.

Description: OPENASFA INPUT The complete report should be cited as follows: IOC-UNESCO. 2022. Multiple Ocean Stressors: A Scientific Summary for Policy Makers. P.W. Boyd et al. (eds). Paris, UNESCO. 20 pp. (IOC Information Series, 1404) doi:10.25607/OBP-1724

Description: Published

Description: Refereed

Description: The present document contains information on activities of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body and the Secretariat on the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) & the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon. 1. The United Nations have proclaimed the Decade to support efforts to gather ocean stakeholders worldwide behind a common framework that will ensure that ocean science can fully support countries in creating improved conditions for the sustainable development of the Ocean. 2. The Scientific and Technical Advisory Body (STAB) elaborated a Strategic Framework (see also full text in annex) on engaging in the UN Decade and presented it to the 8th Meeting of States Parties in 2021. The Meeting, in Resolution 4/8 MSP, welcomed the STAB’s Strategic Framework and reiterated the need to ensure full authorization of the concerned States and respect of confidentiality for unprotected sites in all mapping processes foreseen in it. The Meeting also called on Member States to support actions in the framework of the UN Decade of Ocean Science focusing on underwater and coastal cultural heritage financially. 3. In this regard, in February 2022, a letter was sent by the Secretariat to the States Parties to raise funding for the implementation of the Strategic Framework. Pending the necessary additional contributions, the STAB is invited to determine the priorities among the actions proposed in the Strategic Framework to launch its implementation.

Description: OPENASFA INPUT Item 5 - 'Ocean Decade & Ocean Conference' of the Provisional Agenda of the 16th Meeting of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Body (STAB) of the Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage held in Tunis, Tunisia on 6 and 7 May 2022.

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed

Description: This item has been included in the provisional agenda of the 214th session of the Executive Board at the request of Colombia, Egypt, Kenya, Monaco, Morocco, Oman, Palau, Portugal, Serbia and Togo. An explanatory note, together with a proposed decision is attached. 1. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) undertakes a significant number of ocean-related activities. Founded in 1960, UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) brings together 150 Member States. It coordinates major global ocean programmes such as ocean observing, data management, tsunami warning, develops ecosystem-based approaches to ocean management, and acts as a custodian agency for reporting on SDG targets 14.3 and 14.a. UNESCO is also the guardian of 232 marine biosphere reserves and 50 marine World Heritage sites of outstanding universal value. 2. It is within this context that UNESCO, through IOC, is coordinating the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (“the Ocean Decade”), from 2021 to 2030. The Ocean Decade provides a common framework to ensure that ocean science can ably support countries in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This year, the Ocean Decade is high on agenda of major international summits, such as the “One Ocean Summit” (Brest, February 2022) and the UN Ocean Conference (Lisbon, June 2022), setting the stage for collective mobilization on ocean and climate issues at the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 27, Sharm El-Sheikh, November 2022) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). 3. At the One Ocean Summit, UNESCO announced its readiness to work with partners towards complete mapping of the seabed by 2030, compared to 20% currently, and to expand the work on ocean literacy, contributing to establishing more harmonious relations between humans and the ocean. These two announced ambitions complement other major UNESCO activities related to the ocean. It is relevant to note in this connection that knowledge of high-resolution ocean depth is essential to identifying the location of ocean faults, understanding of ocean currents, tides, and transport of sediments, anticipating seismic and tsunami risks, identifying natural sites and living marine resources that need to be safeguarded for sustainable exploitation. 4. The UNESCO ocean activities are conducted in line with resolutions and decisions adopted by UNESCO and IOC Member States. The second strategic objective of the UNESCO Medium-Term Strategy (2022-2029) is to “work towards sustainable societies by preserving the environment through the promotion of science, technology and natural heritage”. Its third outcome is to “enhance knowledge for climate action, respect for biodiversity, water and ocean management, and disaster risk reduction”. The IOC Medium-Term Strategy (2022-2029) focuses on ocean health, ocean-climate nexus, hazard warnings, ocean economy and knowledge of emerging ocean science issues. This work strongly contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including Goal 14 “Conserve and sustainably use the Oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”. 5. Overall, the negative impact of climate change, land-based pollution, and other stressors on the ocean and marine life is alarming. While there is considerable progress on the international arena in terms of awareness, global efforts deployed so far to overcome these negative effects are still not up to the hoped-for level. 6. The combination of the forthcoming African Conference on Priority Setting and Partnership Development for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (Alexandria, May 2022) and the UNFCCC COP 27 (Sharm el-Sheikh, November 2022) represents a unique opportunity to develop an active research agenda on ocean and climate in line with the UNESCO global priority of Africa. 7. It is suggested therefore that Executive Board adopt a decision that UNESCO continues its active involvement in major ocean related events of 2022, and supports IOC in developing necessary partnerships, further strengthening momentum of the Ocean Decade, successfully seeking extrabudgetary resources and increasing UNESCO’s overall contribution to the protection of the seas and ocean from the effects of climate change as well as the preservation of the sustainability and diversity of marine life.

Description: OPENASFA INPUT

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed

Description: Environmental DNA expeditions in UNESCO World Heritage Marine Sites: engaging citizen-scientists for biodiversity conservation of UNESCO sites.

Description: Government of Flanders

Description: OPENASFA INPUT

Description: Published

Description: The BRESEP project (Biosphere Reserves as a tool for the sustainable management of coastal areas and islands in the South Eastern Pacific) strengthens and promotes the creation of biosphere reserves as tools for innovative and appropriate practices from a social, cultural and environmental point of view. In addition, it promotes the creation of a network of collaboration and exchange of information and experiences on biodiversity loss, coastal zone management and sustainable development, particularly in coastal areas and in the islands of the South Eastern Pacific in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Peru. In this way, it contributes to improving the livelihoods of the inhabitants of the region. The BRESEP project is coordinated by the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program thanks to the financial support of the Government of Flanders of Belgium and has the support of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO.

Description: OPENASFA INPUT

Description: Published

Description: Not Known

Description: This document has been prepared by Laura Kong, Director International tsunami Information Centre (ITIC). The Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme is an international community-based recognition programme developed by UNESCO/IOC. It aims to build resilient communities through awareness and preparedness strategies that will protect life, livelihoods and property from tsunamis in different regions. In June 2021, the IOC Assembly through IOC Decision A-31/3.4.1 (Warning Mitigation Systems for Ocean Hazards) approved the establishment of the IOC Ocean Decade Tsunami Programme, with the aim of making 100% of communities at risk of tsunami prepared for and resilient to tsunamis by 2030 through the implementation of the UNESCO/IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme and other initiatives. The implementation of the Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme will be a key contribution to achieving the societal outcome ‘A Safe Ocean’ of the Ocean Decade. This document presents the main features of a UNESCO/IOC Tsunami Ready Programme. It is presented to the TT DMP for discussion and approval for recommendation to the TOWS-WG-XV, for the establishment of the programme.

Description: OPENASFA INPUT Working Document from the Meeting of the Inter-ICG Task Team on Disaster Management and Preparedness held online on 21-22 February 2022, Proposal for endorsement by IOC.

Description: Published

Description: Not Known

Description: A fundamental element towards attaining water security, water education has been at the heart of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme since its establishment in 1975. However, in much of Asia and the Pacific, water security remains elusive. Ensuring a water secure future for the region will require the unlocking of broader appreciation, acceptance and internalization of basic water science principles and concepts among experts and communities alike. For this, broader and more effective water education is required. For this potential to be fulfilled, reinforced human, financial and technical resources are required to deliver education, training and capacity development across large segments of society. Not only does this require the mobilization of a much larger contingent of trainers, instructors and conveners—it requires the development of new teaching and learning approaches, methodologies and curricula. This curriculum represents an invitation to tertiary-level educators as well as water managers and decision-makers to redouble efforts towards water security in Asia and the Pacific – and invitation grounded in a process that lies at the heart of UNESCO’s mission: the sharing of knowledge, experience and technologies – in this case among scientific, educational and water management communities across the region. Published with the support of the Government of Japan.

Description: OPENASFA INPUT

Description: Published

Description: Not Known

Description: This document provides an overview of the IODE structural elements, programmes and projects between 1961 and 2003, showing also their evolution during that period. This document was produced as a background information document for the First Session of the Task Team on the Development of an IOC Strategic Plan for Oceanographic Data and Information Management (Paris, 23 June 2003).

Description: OPENASFA INPUT

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed

Description: The three-day Workshop was organized jointly by UNESCO and the Ministry for Community and Cultural Affairs in Palau. It brought together government officials in charge of heritage protection from eight member states and one territory in the Pacific, the Pacific Heritage Hub (PHH) at the University of the South Pacific (USP), International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Australia, ICOMOS Pasifika, and Blue Shield Pasifika (BSP), the University of Guam as an associate member of UNESCO/University Twinning (UNITWIN) Network for Maritime Archaeology as well as several key stakeholders in Palau. The objectives of the Workshop were to share information on the progress in implementing the Pacific World Heritage Action Plan 2016-2020, to promote the Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH) Convention and the Hague Convention and its Protocols among Pacific island nations, and to enhance capacity for heritage safeguarding with an integrated approach.

Description: OpenASFA input

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed

Description: Brochure prepared by the International Hydrological Programme of UNESCO on Megacities Alliance for Water and Climate.

Description: The Megacities Alliance for Water and Climate aims to highlight the impacts of these global changes – urban growth and climate – on megacities and their resources, and equally on their water services. In this respect, the founders of the Alliance have published monographs of 16 emblematic megacities.

Description: OPENASFA INPUT

Description: Published

Description: In 2017, UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre published the first global scientific assessment of the impact of climate change on UNESCO World Heritage coral reefs. The ‘Assessment’ reported that heat stress events have increasingly caused severe coral bleaching and mortality of World Heritage-listed reefs around the world over the past three decades. Of the 29 World Heritage-listed natural coral reef properties (Fig. 1), 15 were exposed to repeated severe heat stress during the 2014-2017 global bleaching event1. Recurrent severe bleaching was already apparent at more than half of the properties. While this global event did not trigger the onset of annual severe bleaching conditions in perpetuity, the impact of recurrent bleaching on coral reefs was clearly demonstrated. The first global assessment was released ahead of the 41st session of the World Heritage Committee in 2017 and underpinned the first decision of the Committee on coral reefs and climate change: to reiterate “the importance of States Parties undertaking the most ambitious implementation of the Paris Agreement of the UNFCCC [United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change]”, and to strongly invite all States Parties “to undertake actions to address Climate Change under the Paris Agreement consistent with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances that are fully consistent with their obligations within the World Heritage Convention to protect the OUV [Outstanding Universal Value] of all World Heritage properties”. This update responds to the recommendation of the Assessment to undertake high-resolution future projection analysis under the RCP2.6 emissions scenario, in which emissions peak during the current decade (2010-2020) and achieve the limit of well below 2°C by 21005. This update further responds to the World Heritage Committee request to make available the most current knowledge regarding the impacts of climate change on World Heritage properties. This updated analysis provides understanding of the implications of meeting the long-term goal of the UNFCCC Paris Agreement for World Heritage-listed coral reefs.

Description: Agence Française pour la Biodiversité

Description: NOAA

Description: University of Miami

Description: University of Colorado

Description: OPENASFA INPUT Suggested citation: Heron et al. 2018. Impacts of Climate Change on World Heritage Coral Reefs: Update to the First Global Scientific Assessment. Paris, UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

Description: Published

Description: Not Known

Description: Six years after the First International Conference on “Water, Megacities and Global Change”, held on the occasion of the 21st United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP 21), which drew attention to the significant challenges megacities are facing, and proposed the creation of the Megacities Alliance on Water and Climate (MAWAC), UNESCO’s Division of Water Sciences and ARCEAU-IdF1 decided to join forces once again to co-organize the Second International Conference on Water, Megacities and Global Change (EauMega) at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France and online on a dedicated platform for the conference, on 11-14 January 2022. Organized in close collaboration with the Greater Paris Metropolis and the Greater Paris Sanitation Authority (SIAAP), and with the support of many other public and private partners, this conference builds on the results of the online Pre-Conference on Water, Megacities and Global Change, which took place in December 2020. The Pre-Conference event, which brought together more than 6,000 participants, helped the organizers identify the issues requiring further consideration during the Second International Conference on Water, Megacities and Global Change by selected scientists, water operators, decision-makers, representatives of basin authorities and civil society at large. Given their size, the challenges posed to Megacities by water management within the context of climate change are of particular importance. Indeed, they raise new and specific issues that require close collaboration between scientists who advance knowledge, operators and basin authorities (public and private) who innovate technically and socio-politically, and local decision-makers who can support new, just and more efficient models of water governance, while remaining in constant interaction with civil society. Following a Call for Papers launched in late 2019, this publication is a compilation of the best scientific articles selected and peer-reviewed by the 87 international experts responsible for designing the scientific programme of the conference. Reflecting the structure of the conference with its 12 thematic sessions, the Proceedings present all the peer-reviewed articles in the following thematic chapters: • Disaster Risk Reduction; • Sustainable Development Goals & Service continuity; • Knowledge of the technical and social conditions; • Governance modalities in megacities; • Holistic water management; • Land issues and challenges; • Planning tools. • Technical and technological solutions; • Innovative initiatives at governance, technical, institutional or social level; • New water culture; • Strengthening of sustainable solidarity; The publication not only provides a state of the art on the challenges that Megacities are facing in their management of water and of the new global changes they encounter, but also presents the latest innovative and multi-disciplinary solutions being used to overcome these challenges and ensure optimal and sustainable resource management. By compiling a collection of experiences and best practices at global level, integrating the following three aspects – megacities, water and global change including climate change – it is our hope that this publication will represent a source of inspiration for other Megacities and large urban centers to overcome similar challenges and strengthen their climate resilience. By promoting fruitful exchanges and synergies among megacities, research institutions, the private sector and civil society at large, as well as inspiring further joint research studies on climate change and water-security related issues, the conference represents without doubt a fundamental building block of the Megacities Alliance on Water and Climate (MAWAC). On behalf of the Conference organizers, we wish to thank the co-conveners and partners of this second major international Conference on Water, Megacities and Global Change, as well as all the authors for their valuable contribution and their recommendations.

Description: Published

Description: Refereed

Description: It is our great pleasure to present the second volume of the Catalogue of Hydrologic Analysis for Asia and the Pacific. This volume focuses on the topic “Dam reservoir operation for addressing water related disasters, water scarcity and quality in Asia and the Pacific”. It contains seven documents from China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, and Viet Nam. It is the outcome of the international cooperation of the member countries of the Regional Steering Committee for Asia and the Pacific (RSC) under the auspices of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Program Phase VIII (IHP-VIII, 2014-2021). It follows the 2020 publication of the Catalogue of Hydrologic Analysis (CHA) Volume 1. The objectives of the publication of the Catalogue of Hydrologic Analysis are: • To promote mutual understanding of hydrology and water resources of the region and of the neighboring countries. • To promote information exchange among different organizations in each country. • To share information on water-related issues such as disaster preparedness, water environment conservation, and water resources management in Asia and the Pacific. In Asia and the Pacific, various hydrologic analysis methods have been applied for designing hydraulic structures and river improvement works for rainfall-runoff predictions, flood inundation mapping and other purposes. These hydrologic analysis methods and experiences have different characteristics in terms of climate, topography, and development history of the catchments in which they are applied. Developing a platform to share these experiences and hydrologic analysis methods strengthen risk estimation and water-related hazard damage reduction; especially for researchers and engineers in the region who have limited knowledge of and experiences with them. To improve this situation and enhance risk estimation ability in research and engineering communities, meetings of the IHP Regional Steering Committee for Asia and the Pacific (RSC-AP) discussed the formation of a research team and the development of a hydro-informatics platform for Asia and the Pacific with the objective of realizing a hydro-hazard resilient region. With the objective enhancing regional capacity for evaluating water-related disaster risks, the RSC-AP decided to develop a Catalogue of Hydrologic Analysis (CHA) as a collaboration among researchers and engineers in Asia and the Pacific. The Catalogue collects documents including experiences and hydrologic analysis methods from practical use to advanced studies for short-term rainfall prediction, rainfall-runoff prediction, flood inundation mapping, hydrologic frequency analysis, eco-hydrology, and more. In this volume, we focus on dam reservoir operation in Asia and the Pacific. Since ancient times, dam reservoirs have aimed at securing water resources for living and agricultural production. Since then, industrial use and hydroelectric power generation were added – and most recently, securing the water environment and mitigating damage caused by floods. Dam operation methods are being studied and operated in each country to meet different objectives and to reduce the impact of flow control on the natural environment. This report summarizes the operation and water resource management of dams in China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, and Viet Nam. By developing and sharing knowledge through CHA, RSC-AP provides a platform to improve the ability for evaluating water-related disaster risks, which in turn will strengthen cooperation among researchers, governmental agencies and private sectors; serve to reduce the damage of water-related disasters; and stand as a regional contribution to achieve the targets of SDGs, UNESCO IHP-VIII (2014-2021) and UNESCO IHP-IX (2022-2029).

Description: The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan, which provides funds to support UNESCO IHP activities in Asia and the Pacific

Description: From the People of Japan

Description: OPENASFA INPUT

Description: Published

Description: Not Known

Description: Este documento de trabajo examina los vínculos entre el aprendizaje de la alfabetización, el desarrollo de competencias y el mundo del trabajo, en línea con el tema del Día Internacional de la Alfabetización (ILD, por sus siglas en inglés) 2018. Su objetivo es identificar acciones de política que ayudan a integrar el aprendizaje de la alfabetización y el desarrollo de competencias, con el objetivo de apoyar las vías hacia el empleo.

Description: OPENASFA INPUT Documento de trabajo preparado para la Conferencia Internacional sobre “Alfabetización y desarrollo de competencias” (París, 7 de septiembre de 2018)

Description: Published

Description: Not Known

Description: In every ocean, regional and national tsunami warning systems must maintain a high level of readiness so as to be able to efficiently and effectively act to provide for the public’s safety during fast-onset and rapidly-evolving natural disasters involving marine inundation of coastal areas. Because of the relative infrequency of tsunamis, but knowing that tsunamis can have widespread impact across oceans and seas, the UNESCO/IOC and its Member States have been advocating through their Intergovernmental Coordination Groups (ICGs) for the regular conduct of tsunami exercises. To maintain a high state of operational readiness, National Tsunami Warning Centres (NTWCs) and Civil Protection agencies (CPA) must regularly practice their emergency response procedures to ensure that vital communication links work seamlessly, and that agencies and response personnel know the roles that they will need to play during a real event.

Description: Published

Description: Refereed

Description: A series of severe earthquakes hit Central Chile on Saturday, 27th February 2010. The main shock off Concepcion at 06:34 UTC (3:34 AM local time) had a magnitude of 8.8 Mw. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center PTWC in Hawaii, USA issued a regional warning at 06:46 UTC (12 minutes after the event). This was the first ocean wide test of a system that was put in place nearly 45 years ago by UNESCO’s Member States through its Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), after a 9.5 magnitude earthquake on 22 May 22 1960 off Chile triggered a wide ocean tsunami that caused 61 fatalities in Hawaii and 142 fatalities in Japan, several hours after the earthquake. As indicated above, 12 minutes after the 27th February 2010 earthquake the Pacific Ocean Tsunami Warning System (PTWS) went into action, with timely and adequate information produced and disseminated across the Pacific Ocean. There were no fatalities reported far from the epicenter, however, near the epicenter off the Chilean coast, official accounts indicate over 156 fatalities due to the tsunami. Preliminary measures of a Rapid Survey Team deployed the week after the event by UNESCO showed run up measurements as high as 30 meters with most common measurements between 6 and 10 meters in the most affected area of the Chilean coast. This earthquake and tsunami event presented an ideal opportunity to assess the performance of the PTWS. To that end the UNESCO/IOC Secretariat for the PTWS sent out a post-event survey questionnaire to the Tsunami Warning Focal Points (TWFPs) and Tsunami National Contacts (TNCs) from its 32 Member States and territories. This report has been prepared by the Secretariat based on the responses received from 19 TWFPs and TNCs. Factual details of the earthquake event and the tsunami are presented and the results of the survey are listed in tables and displayed as timelines and maps. We underscore that all TWFPs received the first PTWC bulletin. In addition, most of the countries reported PTWC as source of awareness of the earthquake. Fourteen countries issued a tsunami warning and in 9 Member States coastal zones were evacuated. It would be pertinent that each Member State analyze if an evacuation would have been necessary in zones where no evacuation was made. In four countries, some areas were evacuated preventively (self-evacuation). Moreover, it was observed that sea level was monitored by most of the countries. In addition, some countries used results from numerical modelling and calculated earthquake parameters. Based on data and information collected from Member States the PTWS acted promptly and efficiently throughout the Pacific. However, and at the same time, this event demonstrated the need to reinforce the work of PTWS for near field events, particularly with denser sea level real time networks close to active subduction areas. Indeed, as it has been demonstrated by the case of the sea level station located in Talcahuano, Chile, sea level stations close to the epicenter may be partially or totally destroyed by the impact of an earthquake and/or a tsunami. Given the critical role sea level readings have in all tsunami warning systems, the sea level monitoring networks should be densified close to active subduction areas and redundancy of sensors and transmission paths be strongly considered. Most of the issues revealed by the survey can be addressed both by the PTWS and at the national level through increased regional cooperation and training where needed. Post-event assessments assist in this process by highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the PTWS at regional, national and local levels and by raising the awareness of how Member States responded, both individually and collectively. The true value of such assessments is that it allows Member States to share information and experiences for the mutual benefit of improving the PTWS performance for all members.

Description: OpenASFA input

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed

Description: The Global Sea-level Observing System (GLOSS) was established by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1985 to provide oversight and coordination for global and regional sea-level networks in support of scien- tific research. The first GLOSS Implementation Plan (GIP) in 1990 established the GLOSS Core Network (GCN) of ~300 tide gauges distributed around the world, technical standards for GLOSS tide gauge stations, as well as the basic terms and obligations for Member States participating in GLOSS. The second GIP in 1997 expanded the GLOSS programme to include sub-networks focused on long historical records suitable for the detection of long-term sea- level trends and accelerations (GLOSS-LTT), a cali- bration network for satellite altimetry (GLOSS-ALT), and a network suitable for monitoring aspects of the global ocean circulation (GLOSS-OC). In addition, a strategy for integrating Global Positioning System (GPS) into monitoring of land levels at GLOSS tide gauges was developed. The focus of the GIP 2012 remains the GCN and the datasets that result from this network. The new plan calls for two significant upgrades to the GCN moti- vated by scientific and operational requirements: 1) all GCN stations are required to report data in near-real time, which will be tracked at a Sea-level Station Monitoring Facility. This will involve upgrades in power, data acquisition plat- forms, and communication packages; however, these upgrades are cost-effective in terms of the benefits that a real-time system will provide for ocean monitoring and improved station perfor- mance due to early detection of station malfunc- tions; 2) continuous measurements of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), in particular the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS), the Russian GLONASS, or the newly established European GALILEO, or equivalent systems, in the vicinity of the tide gauge benchmark (TGBM) are required for all GCN stations. This upgrade will support satellite altimetry calibration and research efforts aimed at determining geocentric global sea-level rise rates as well as regional changes in sea level. Most relevant, vertical land movements can signifi- cantly alter the rates of sea-level rise expected from the sole climatic contributions of ocean ther- mal expansion and land-based ice melting, possi- bly magnifying the impacts of sea-level rise on the coast. In many cases, this requirement can be met by taking advantage of existing GNSS receivers maintained by other groups, as long as a precise geodetic tie to the GCN tide gauge can be made using, e.g. conventional levelling. The organization of the plan is as follows. An over- view of the GLOSS programme (chapter 1) and a brief summary of the uses of tide gauge data (chapter 2) are presented. The current status of the GLOSS programme is considered (chapter 3), followed by a discussion of the sea-level monitoring requirements raised by advisory groups and panels (chapter 4), as well as a self-assessment based on specific research and operational applications (chapter 5). These requirements are used to develop implementation goals for the GLOSS networks and data centres (chapter 6). Minor modifications are proposed for the administrative structure of GLOSS aimed at providing improved oversight of the imple- mentation plan (chapter 7). The success of the plan depends critically on the participation of Member States, whose obligations are summarized (chapter 8). The successful Training, Education and Mutual Assistance programmes that have been a corner stone of GLOSS will be continued to help meet implementation requirements (chapter 9). Additional technical and programmatic details are included in a set of appendices.

Description: OpenASFA input

Description: Published

Description: Refereed

Description: The 26 December 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean killed over 230,000 people, displaced more than 1 million people and left a trail of destruction. Considering that the Caribbean is a region prone to tsunamis, and recognising the need for an early warning system, the Intergovernmental Coordination Group (ICG) for the Tsunami and other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (CARIBE EWS) was established in 2005 as a subsidiary body of the IOC-UNESCO with the purpose of providing assistance to all Member States of the region to establish their own regional early warning system. The main objective of the CARIBE EWS is to identify and mitigate the hazards posed by local and distant tsunamis. The goal is to create a fully integrated end-to-end warning system comprising four key components: hazard monitoring and detection; hazard assessment; warning dissemination; and community preparedness and response. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) in Hawaii is the interim tsunami warning service provider for the Caribbean. The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Centre (WC/ATWC) is providing tsunami warning service for the USA territories in the Caribbean region. The magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Haiti on the 12 January 2010 was one of the most severe earthquakes that occurred in this country in the last 100 years. It caused a large number of casualties and material destruction.In addition, the earthquake generated a tsunami that caused a runup of 3m at both Jacmel and Petit Paradis, Haiti and 1m in Pedernales, Dominican Republic. Furthermore, it was recorded with an amplitude of 12 cm (peak to trough) at the Santo Domingo sea level station in the Dominican Republic. The arrival time was at 22:40 UTC, namely 47 minutes after the earthquake occurred. This tsunami recalled the need to effectively implement the CARIBE EWS to be prepared for future potentially destructive tsunamis in the region. The event therefore presented an ideal opportunity to evaluate the performance of the CARIBE EWS to highlight both the strengths and weaknesses of the system, to identify areas that require further attention, and to provide a benchmark of the present status of the system. The UNESCO IOC Secretariat for the CARIBE EWS sent out a post-event survey questionnaire to Member States and territories that have identified their Tsunami Warning Focal Points (TWFP). Out of 28 questionnaires sent out, 23 responses were returned to the CARIBE EWS Secretariat in Paris. The objectives of the survey were to confirm that the NTWCs received bulletins from the interim advisory service in a timely manner, to determine what actions were taken by the NTWCs, and to find out if the Member States activated their emergency response plans based on the available information. The survey was very useful to get an overview of the current status of the CARIBE EWS. Tsunami bulletins were received timely by most of the countries that answered the survey. On the other hand, it was identified that sea level was scarcely monitored during the event, and that some National Warning Centres (NWC) do not know how to access sea level data over the GTS or over the IOC Sea Level Observation Facility website. Most NWCs did not use any numerical models during the event. It was observed, as well, that countries placed in watch level were able to distribute warnings and even preventively evacuate some areas. It is beyond the scope of this report to conduct a detailed interpretation of the results, and the survey results have been presented so that individual Member States and the ICG can draw conclusions from this exercise and decide on future action. Although progress has been made since 2005, it should be recognized that the CARIBE EWS is not yet fully implemented and much remains to be done to bring the system to full operational status. The ICG will continue to monitor the system to ensure continuous improvement during the development phase.

Description: OpenASFA input

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed

Description: International coordination of a tsunami warning system originated in the Pacific in 1968 under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO in cooperation with the International Tsunami Information Centre (ITIC) established on 12 November 1965 by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and hosted by the National Weather Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (USA). As early as 1988, experts and Member States recognized the need to develop standardized tsunami terminology in the form of a glossary which had endorsement of the scientific community. The first edition of the Tsunami Glossary (IOC Technical series, 37, 1991) was published by IOC and ITIC and contained more than 2000 terms and definitions building on disciplines such as geophysics, oceanography, engineering and mathematics. Following the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, the IOC was mandated by the United Nations to coordinate development of similar regional tsunami and other coastal hazards warning and mitigation systems in the Caribbean, the Northeastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea, the Indian Ocean in addition to the Pacific Ocean. Expert groups from different regional perspectives developed a common understanding of language to be used for the development of the four regional systems. Under the coordination of ITIC, this international effort resulted in 2008 in a new edition of the Tsunami Glossary (IOC Technical Series No 85). Over the years the Glossary has been translated and is available in English (original), Arabic, Chinese, French, Indonesian, Spanish, Urdu, Korean, Tagalog, Thai and several other languages. Since 2015 changes to the content of the Tsunami Glossary are subject to the validation of the IOC Working Group on Tsunamis and Other Hazards related to Sea-Level Warning and Mitigation Systems (TOWS-WG) and subsequent endorsement by the Governing Bodies of the IOC. By this mechanism it is expected that the publication will be recognized and adopted by Member States as a validated standard in this field. The 2019 edition of Tsunami Glossary includes the definition of technical terms, and information on the expert and governance groups for tsunami warning and mitigation.

Description: revision of an originally published in 2008

Description: Published

Description: Refereed