Regional workshop for african oceanographers
Ocean remote sensing: a tool for ocean science and operational oceanography

Programme outline

The Workshop will be divided in two approximately equal parts: Lectures on topics in oceanography, and "mini-projects" or labs carried out during practical computer classes. The four modules of theoretical lectures are as follows:

Basic knowledge on oceanography. (8 H)
Observational means and tools and ongoing efforts to build a GOOS. (12H)
Numerical simulation of fluids thermodynamics. (8 H)
Applications and prospectives. (12 H)

Lecturers will be prominent scientists who are active users of Topex/Poseidon, Jason, ERS or ENVISAT data, or experts who have had an important role in designing the software used for analyses of satellite data.

Computer classes, which will be conducted by small teams led by experts from, e.g., CNES , ESA, NASA or NOAA, will cover all aspects of the software usage, from setting-up systems and related applications.

Programme details

Basic knowledge in oceanography

Water masses and their thermo-haline (T,S) and geochemical characteristics. Ocean response to wind forcing (Ekman layer) & thermohaline forcings. Large scale circulation dynamics: geostrophic balance, (linked to earth rotation), and dynamical topography (an integral information on the fluid column, alike atmospheric pressure in meteorology). General features of Ocean circulation: western boundary currents, gyres, eddies, thermohaline circulation, heat and mass transport, oceanic seasons. Description of water masses from sparse observations: Optimal Interpolation. Other general and specific mathematical tools (from measured SSH to Stream functions).

Observational means and tools and on going efforts to build a GOOS

THE 4 "SPACE BASED", sustained, sea SURFACE daily/bi-weekly measurements (8 H): TEMPERATURE (or SST with IR or microwave radiometers), TOPOGRAPHY (or SSH from radar altimeters + precise orbit determination), WIND (with radars or scatterometers), COLOR (with multiband optical Radiometers). The 5th "space based" candidate: experimental measurement of Surface Salinity (SSS with MW radiometers). The various In Situ 4D automated networks: Eulerian (TAO + Pirata mooorings) or Lagrangian (drifting buoys & Argo subsurface floats). Others R/V or "SOOP" measurements: CTDs, XBTs, on board ADCPs & Thermosalinographs, etc. (4 H).

Numerical simulation of fluids thermodynamics:

Navier Stokes equations; use of modern computing power for their resolution; discretisation & finites differences. Some examples, (wave model; "modele d'onde"), and results on the general circulation or on coastal areas. Intercomparrison of numerical models with fixed or variable grids (4H). Concepts on chaotic systems; interest of recent observations for improving forecasting skills of models. Various techniques of data assimilation; from Kalman filtering to 4D var (4 H).

Applications and future perspectives:

Global (GODAE), regional or local models, nested models, applications to a variety of phenomena of different temporal and spatial scales, e.g., climate change, seasonal forecast, upwellings, fish stock management, maritime routing, offshore activities, dispersion of pollutants and coastal erosion.