Operational assimilation began in March 1997. These include the frequency and severity of storms and the occurrence of droughts and floods. Although many of the consequences of El Nino cannot be prevented, skillful forecasts enable resource managers in climate-sensitive sectors to alter strategies and reduce economic vulnerability. Coupled ocean-atmosphere models have attained significant forecast skill during the past decade, but they continue to be limited by an ocean observing system which is extraordinarily modest.
Satellites represent part of the solution.
The program became operational in March 1997, just in time to assist in the long-range forecasts associated with the ongoing 1997 El Nino. Lichten et al. Based on an overlap in time with the more accurate GDRs, the IGDR values are referenced to the 1993-95 mean. The sea level time series shown in Fig. 2 is for a 1-degree segment near the Galapagos Islands. Agreement of the 2-day IGDR and the final GDR is at the level of a few cm.