From Observation to Information and Users: The Copernicus Marine Service Perspective

Abstract

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.

Operational Modeling Capacity in European Seas—An EuroGOOS Perspective and Recommendations for Improvement

“…By ticking the option "more data for assimilation, " the contributor actually wanted to stress the need for more timely and suitable data to enable the use of data assimilation in a strict operational time-schedule. Such a data requirement was also identified at European (She et al, 2016) and regional level (She, 2018;Le Traon et al, 2019).…”

“…It thus seems that further efforts are required to enable an operational access to those data sets and to addresses the scientific and technical challenge of their inclusion within operational assimilating systems. Beyond remote-sensing and in situ autonomous monitoring program, assimilation techniques should be further applied to promote a more systematic use of other near-real time observations platforms (e.g., HF radars, ferrybox, and tide gauges) via impact studies using Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) (Oke et al, 2015;She et al, 2017) and/or Observing System Experiments (OSEs) (She, 2018;Fujii et al, 2019;Le Traon et al, 2019). OSEtype approaches are important tools to promote the use of assimilation technique and helps in designing optimized operational forecasting systems.…”

“…A wide variety of operational models are currently used in European Seas, based on different computer codes and sets of parameterizations, resolving a disparate range of spatial and temporal scales, using diverse data sources as forcing and as initial and boundary conditions and relying, or not, on data assimilation methods (Bell et al, 2009;Bahurel et al, 2010;Le Traon et al, 2019). Examples of the services and products provided by such models may be found following the links given in Table 1.…”

Challenges for Sustained Observing and Forecasting Systems in the Mediterranean Sea

“…The CMEMS in situ Thematic Assembly Center (in situ TAC) (Petit de la Villeon et al, 2018;Le Traon et al, 2019) integrates near real-time in-situ observational data. These data are collected from the European members and complemented by the observations collected through the GTS in the area.…”

“…A good example is the well-established Mediterranean modeling system, which is structured around the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS) and national and sub-regional downscaled forecasting systems, with numerous high-quality applications providing user-oriented services. In addition, advanced multi-platform and integrated observing systems are continually being developed and implemented by universities, research centers, European research infrastructures and private companies facilitating mission-oriented innovation that feeds into CMEMS (Le Traon et al, 2019) and the EMODnet programme (Martín Miguez et al, 2019).…”