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The Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS) provides regular and systematic reference information on the physical and biogeochemical ocean and sea-ice state for the global ocean and the European regional seas. CMEMS serves a wide range of users (more than 15,000 users are now registered to the service) and applications. Observations are a fundamental pillar of the CMEMS value-added chain that goes from observation to information and users. Observations are used by CMEMS Thematic Assembly Centres (TACs) to derive high-level data products and by CMEMS Monitoring and Forecasting Centres (MFCs) to validate and constrain their global and regional ocean analysis and forecasting systems. This paper presents an overview of CMEMS, its evolution, and how the value of in situ and satellite observations is increased through the generation of high-level products ready to be used by downstream applications and services. The complementary nature of satellite and in situ observations is highlighted. Le Traon et al. Copernicus Marine Service: Observations Long-term perspectives for the development of CMEMS are described and implications for the evolution of the in situ and satellite observing systems are outlined. Results from Observing System Evaluations (OSEs) and Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) illustrate the high dependencies of CMEMS systems on observations. Finally future CMEMS requirements for both satellite and in situ observations are detailed.

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Characterization of the snow-pack is fundamental for several applications in hydrology, such as modelling and\ud forecasting of snow melt runoff, water resource management and risk analysis. Thanks to its night/day capabilities and\ud weather conditions independence, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) represents a valuable tool for snow monitoring,\ud especially in mountain areas often covered by clouds.\ud The goal of the research project presented in this communication is to investigate the sensitivity of fully polarimetric Cband\ud satellite SAR data to different conditions of the snow-pack.\ud The work is based on the use of RADARSAT-2 C-band SAR data and collocated in-situ measurements acquired during\ud two ground campaigns over an area located in the Catalan Pyrenees, that took place between February to October 2011.\ud The main outcome of this study is the definition of two new polarimetric parameters sensitive to the snow presence, able\ud to distinguish between dry-snow and non snow cover, allowing a qualitative remote sensing with C-band polarimetric\ud space-borne SAR data. The importance of developing an application based on remote sensed data will be discussed.\ud Results of the activity scheduled during the first year of the project will be highlighted. Observed deviations between\ud SAR measurements and in situ measurement shall be analyzed and discussed.Postprint (published version

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