Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2024 09:45:33 +0000 (GMT) Message-ID: <479836128.1243.1711705533276@6d9bcc3c5cdb> Subject: Exported From Confluence MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; boundary="----=_Part_1242_79073179.1711705533275" ------=_Part_1242_79073179.1711705533275 Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: file:///C:/exported.html
Earth observation (EO) technologies are useful in pr= oviding environmental context while conducting marine studies. For sh= ip-based studies in particular, EO can help make day-to-day decisions as to= when and where to collect samples, and especially when trying to understan= d more ephemeral ecosystem features such polynyas, the ice edge, eddies, or= predator-prey hotspots.
Being able to review these data as they are relayed = in near-real time to the ship allows for safer and more efficient research = operations and thus represents a critical tool many researchers have come t= o rely on.
In early 2013, following a campaign of data collection and analysis, the= discovery of three newly defined hydrocarbon basins in the Labrador Sea (t= he Henley, Chidley, and Holton Basins) and expanded the extent of the Hawke= Basin. Results from the campaign are being made available to industr= y in order to generate interest in undertaking exploration activities in th= is region. As part of this effort C-CORE were requested to produce a metrol= ogical and oceanographic study to help define the risks associated with mar= ine operations in the offshore environment and compare these conditions wit= h other regions around the world. Specifically the objectives were as follo= ws:
Without EO data the breadth, depth, and quality of the datasets used in = the characterization exercise would have been significantly compromised.
The following sample metocean results are derived from datasets that emp= loy EO data, either as a primary data source, or as a data source that is u= sed conjunction with other data types and methodologies.
Example 1 presents a dataset were EO data plays a direct role. Figure 1 = shows the average number of days of open water (i.e., the number of days wh= en less than 1/10th concentration of sea ice is present) during = the period 1999-2008 in the southern portion of the Labrador Sea. Ice free = days are an important metocean parameter as they allow shipping and other o= perations to be carried out without a need for ice class vessels or structu= res. The dataset from which this plot was made was generated through the ac= quisition, aggregation and processing of hundreds of Canadian Ice Service c= harts, an example of which is show in Figure 2.
The CIS ice charts are produced from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Sate= llite Imagery satellite imagery and supported by ship and aircraft-based vi= sual observations. They represent, on the chart publication date, the best = estimate of ice conditions based on the integrated observational data. SAR = data is an invaluable tool for this task because of the large spatial areas= over which the satellite can obtain imagery and its ability to acquire dat= a day and night in all weather conditions, clouds and fog being particularl= y problematic along the Labrador Coast.
Example 2 presents an example of where EO observation plays an indirect = but essential role. Figure 3 shows oceanographic surface current data from = the Canadian East Coast Ocean Model (CECOM) model[1]. CECOM is a dynamically and thermodynamically = coupled ice-ocean model developed and maintained by researchers at the Bedf= ord Institute of Oceanography. The model has been employed in numerous stud= ies including basin-scale and shelf circulations, operational ocean forecas= ting, and seasonal variation of ice cover. The spatial resolution of = the model is 0.1 x 0.1 =C2=B0 with a 21 level generalized =CF=83 (sigma) co= -ordinate grid in the vertical; the data is produced at a 30 min resolution= . Crucial to the development of model is the assimilation of the near= real time satellite derived sea-surface temperature (SST) data; by incorpo= rating the SST observations the accuracy of the model output is greatly inc= reased improving the quality of the data that operators and designers requi= re and rely on for design, planning, and operational purposes.
Example 3 exploits the output from the Japanese Meteorological Research = Institute Coupled General Circulation Model (MRI-CGCM3)[2], a 1.4o x 1.4o res= olution earth systems model. Figure 4 shows the change, predicted by MRI-CG= CM3, in the mean number of ice-free days between the period 1980-2010 and t= he period 2020-2050. The plot show that in the majority of locations the nu= mber of ice free days in a season will increase by up to ten days. The MRI-= CGCM3 uses satellite derived altimeter data as part of its data assimilatio= n scheme[3]<= /sup>. Again, by employing the satellite derived observational data the= uncertainty in the model is greatly reduced, improving confidence in the r= esults. MRI-CGCM3 is one of the models that is used in the Coupled Model In= tercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5)[4] experiments which, amongst other objectives, looks to prov= ide a standard set of model simulations to evaluate how realistic the globa= l climate models are in simulating the recent past and to provide projectio= ns of future climate change on near term and long term timescales.
The role EO plays in deriving parameters such as sea surface temperature= and sea surface height is essential in reducing the uncertainty of models = such as CECOM and MRI-CGCM3 that are used to generate metocean datasets and= analyses, both short term as operational forecasts and longer term as summ= aries and predications.
C-CORE's mission is to be a world leader in the development and applicat= ion of advanced engineering principles to solve operational challenges in t= he natural resource sectors and other target markets. Through responsivenes= s, excellence in service, continuously advancing technology, and understand= ing clients' needs, C-CORE will be the organization of choice for providing= innovative services and products. C-CORE will conduct applied research and= development with a motivated, highly qualified team working in a framework= of sound business principles.
Dr. Rob Briggs
Captain Robert A. Bartlett Building, Morrissey Road, St. John's, NL, Can= ada A1B 3X5
T: 709-864-8354 / F: 709-864-4706 / e-mail: info@c-core.ca