# Presentation: 763311

## Comments on: “Interactions Between Data, Observations, and Modeling”

- Sydney Levitus, NODC/NOAA
- CCSP Workshop
- Washington, D.C.
- December 5, 2002

**Panel on: ****	****Grand Challenges in Modeling, ****	****	****	****	****Observations, and Information Systems**

## What is the strength of the CCSP Strategic Plan?

**Recognition that in order to improve the climate record we need to:**
** ****	****extend the climate record back in time using paleoclimatic data, **
** ****	****extend the climate record back in time by “rescuing” historical instrumental ****	****data,**
**  ****	****extend the climate record forward in time by the improvement of ****	****existing observation systems and by developing new climate system ****	****observing systems,**
**  ****	****develop biological and ecological data databases,**
** ****	****promote international cooperation,**
**  ****	****provide open access to data,**
**  ****	****provide for adequate data management.**
**This is not a “motherhood” statement. The climate system is complex and has**
**biological and chemical components as well as physical components.**

## Uses of climate system “instrumental” databases

**Some specific uses for climate system instrumental databases and products derived from such databases:**
**1) ****	****Diagnostic studies describing the earth's climate system;**
**2)****	****Boundary and Initial conditions for numerical models;**
**Data assimilation studies;**
**4)****	****Verification for climate simulation modeling runs;**
**5)****	****“Ground or Sea Truth" for satellite measurements";**
**6)****	****Establishing climatologies for for paleoclimatic studies (*****e.g.,***** fields of temperature and salinity for CLIMAP).**

## Climate system modeling and diagnostic requirements

**Global, integrated, comprehensive, scientifically quality-controlled, well-documented environmental databases in one format with electronic access.**
**Gridded global products based on well-documented environmental databases with all analysis procedures documented.**

## Desirable Database Characteristics for Modelers and Climate System Diagnosticians (1)

**Global-**** ****	****The phenomenon we are trying to understand are ****	****	****	****	****global in nature;**
**Integrated-**** ****	****Users want “one-stop shopping”. As many ****	****	****	****	****	****	****relevant variables as possible should be in the ****	****	****	****	****	****database;**
**Comprehensive-**** ****	****Users want the most complete databases ****	****	****	****	****	****	****possible, both in time and space;**

## Desirable Database Characteristics for Modelers and Climate System Diagnosticians (2)

**Scientifically quality-controlled****- ****	**
**	****	****Users may not have time to quality control the databases ****	****they use. This task requires the efforts of a dedicated ****	****team of scientists;**
**Well-documented-****  **
**	****	****Users must have complete documentation of the ****	****database they are using;**
**One format-**** ****	**
**	****Users do not want to deal with multiple formats if they can help it;**
**Electronic access to database *****and***** documentation.**

## Four examples of frequently used climate-system databases

***Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Sets***
**	****	****Surface marine meteorological data, mainly from ****	****merchant ships.  ****Heterogeneous.**
***2)******	******International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project***
**	****Satellite cloud data. ****Homogenous**
***3)******	******World Ocean Database (e.g., *****1994, 1998 ,2001*****)***
**	****	****Ocean profile-plankton data from research ships,                 ****	****ship-of-opportunity programs, navy ships, buoys,...**
**  ****	****	**** ****Heterogeneous.**
**4)****	****I.G.Y. ocean profile data**
**	****	****Ocean profile-plankton data from research ships.**
- 		**Heterogeneous**

## World Ocean Database 2001: An example of an integrated, heterogenous database

***temperature*****:**** ****	****earth’s heat balance;**
***salinity*****:**** ****	****	****earth’s freshwater balance;**
***oxygen*****:**** ****	****	****biogeochemical cycles;**
***nutrients*****:**** ****	****	****biogeochemical cycles, heat balance;**
***chlorophyll*****:**** ****	****biogeochemical cycles, heat balance;**
***plankton*****:**** ****	****	****biogeochemical cycles, heat balance.**

## World Ocean Database 2001(a heterogeneous database)

**Data from 55,897 cruises;**
**Data from 3057 ships and other platforms;**
**Data from 489 institutes;**
**Data from 112 countries.**

## Utility of NODC Profile Data Based on Scientific Citations*

**Utility of NODC Profile Data Based on Scientific Citations***

## OSD cast data acquired through the GODAR Project for 1900 1991compared to NODC archive holdings as of 1991

## Desired characteristics of gridded products

**Similar to databases: **
**1)****	****Users want ****global products**** based on well-documented ****	****databases.**
**	**
**As climate-system models achieve higher spatial ****	****resolutions the modeling community requires ****	**
**	****	****gridded products of higher space and time ****	****resolution****.**
**3)****	****Gridding procedures must be completely documented.**

## Effect of horizontal resolution ( 1° versus 1⁄4° grid)

**Temperature at z = 200m depth**

**1****°****  grid**

**1⁄4****°**** grid**

**(Features with wavelengths less than 5********x are greatly reduced in amplitude in each figure)**

## What does it take to build the global databases and gridded products required by the climate modeling and diagnostic communities?

**As climate system databases increase in size more capable computer hardware and software are important for database development and access**
**but just as important**** are human resources and sustained project support.**
**Climate system databases require research teams that “use” the databases by producing products from the databases. This is the final step of quality control.**
**Data processing (*****e.g*****., quality control) and stewardship require scientific expertise built up over time.**
**Climate System Database development needs to be viewed as long-term, ongoing projects similar to numerical model development.**

## International contributions to database development

**Many global climate system databases can not be developed by a single country.**
** ****International data exchange is greatly facilitated by: **
**intergovernmental data exchange systems such as the **
**	****International Ocean Data and Information Exchange System**** (IODE) of the ****Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission**** (IOC);**
**2)****	****non-governmental data exchange systems such as **
**	****the ****World Data Centers**** of the ****International Council of Scientific Unions**** (ICSU).**
**These systems need to be supported through:**
** ****	****a)****	****direct financial support, **
**	****b)****	****support for exchange of data managers and scientists, **
**	****c)****	****meeting support, **
**	****d)****	****capacity transfer to less developed countries.**

## Need for data management by various institutional arrangements

**1)****	****Not all data can or should be managed by national data centers although these centers may act as archives for all data. **
**2)****	****There is a need for Project Data Management.**
**3)****	****Data expertise often lies with the P.I.s who made the original**
**	****measurements.**
**4)****	****However, Project Data Management needs to be adhere to the same standards and policies as national data centers.**

## WOD01 chlorophyll data

**WOD01 chlorophyll data**

## WOA01  Zooplankton biomass

***WOA01*****  Zooplankton biomass**