How do we study and measure ocean currents and temperatures?

Introduction

Studying and measuring ocean currents and temperatures is crucial for understanding ocean dynamics, climate change, and marine ecosystems. Various methods and technologies have been developed to observe and predict these parameters, each with its own advantages and limitations.

Key Insights

Satellite-Based Measurements:
- Doppler Scatterometer: The OSCOM satellite uses a Doppler Scatterometer to directly measure ocean surface currents with high resolution (5-10 km) and global coverage every 3 days. It also measures sea surface temperature using infrared and microwave radiometers.
- Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR): SAR, including interferometric SAR, measures surface currents by analyzing phase differences in radar images. This method provides accurate current estimates with root-mean-square errors of 5-10 cm/s .
Sea Surface Temperature (SST) Observations:
- Infrared and Microwave Radiometers: High-resolution SST measurements from infrared and microwave radiometers can be used to reconstruct ocean currents using the Surface Quasi-Geostrophic (SQG) theory. This method is effective under cloud-free conditions and can achieve high spatial resolution .
Unmanned Surface Vehicles:
- SailBuoy: The SailBuoy is an autonomous vehicle equipped with an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) to measure upper-layer ocean currents. It shows good correlation with traditional methods, though performance varies with sea conditions.
Remote Sensing Techniques:
- Laser Raman Backscattering: This technique measures subsurface temperatures by analyzing Raman scattering from water molecules. It provides depth-resolved temperature profiles with an accuracy of ±1°C.
Data Assimilation and Predictive Models:
- Simple Ocean Data Assimilation (SODA): SODA integrates various data sources, including temperature, salinity, and altimeter data, to provide a retrospective analysis of ocean conditions. It helps in understanding long-term trends and model biases.
- Deep Learning Models: Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Transformer models can predict ocean currents in real-time using data from sources like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These models offer high accuracy without site-specific training data.

Conclusion

The study and measurement of ocean currents and temperatures employ a variety of advanced technologies and methodologies. Satellite-based instruments, such as Doppler Scatterometers and SAR, provide high-resolution and global coverage. SST observations using infrared and microwave radiometers, combined with the SQG theory, offer detailed current reconstructions. Autonomous vehicles like the SailBuoy and remote sensing techniques like laser Raman backscattering provide additional layers of data. Data assimilation systems and deep learning models further enhance our ability to predict and understand ocean dynamics. Together, these methods form a comprehensive toolkit for oceanographic research.

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How do we study and measure ocean currents and temperatures?

Summary

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

Ocean surface current multiscale observation mission (OSCOM): Simultaneous measurement of ocean surface current, vector wind, and temperature

OSCOM, a satellite with a Doppler Scatterometer, will provide high-resolution measurements of global ocean surface currents, aiding in understanding ocean dynamics and climate change.

Interferometric radar measurement of ocean surface currents

Interferometric synthetic aperture radar effectively measures ocean surface currents, providing accurate maps of the east-west component of the current for ocean patches of 60x60 m.

High-Resolution Ocean Currents from Sea Surface Temperature Observations: The Catalan Sea (Western Mediterranean)

The Surface Quasi-Geostrophic (SQG) approach can reconstruct ocean currents at scales shorter than 50-70 km using infrared Sea Surface Temperature observations, with potential for applications in the Catalan Sea.

SailBuoy Ocean Currents: Low-Cost Upper-Layer Ocean Current Measurements

The SailBuoy is a low-cost alternative for measuring ocean currents, with satisfactory correlations to traditional methods, but low current speeds and varying weather conditions reduce correlation.

Experimental remote sensing of subsurface temperature in natural ocean water

Laser Raman backscattering technique enables remote sensing of subsurface ocean water temperature, offering potential applications in physical oceanography, meteorology, climatology, and thermal discharge management.

Real-time in situ prediction of ocean currents

Deep learning techniques, LSTM and Transformer, provide accurate real-time in-situ ocean current predictions for autonomous underwater vehicles, improving navigation accuracy.

Ocean surface currents reconstruction at a global scale from microwave measurements

Microwave SST measurements can effectively reconstruct global ocean surface currents, with improved results when combined with altimeter data.

Remote Sensing of Ocean Currents

This SAR-based method accurately measures near-surface ocean currents with an accuracy of 20%, potentially enabling routine monitoring of the world's oceans.

Potential use of microwave sea surface temperatures for the estimation of ocean currents

Satellite microwave radiometer SST measurements show promising potential for estimating surface ocean currents, with a single image needed to derive accurate estimates under favourable environmental conditions.

A Simple Ocean Data Assimilation Analysis of the Global Upper Ocean 1950–95. Part I: Methodology

The Simple Ocean Data Assimilation (SODA) package provides a global retrospective analysis of upper-ocean temperature, salinity, and currents from 1950-1995, with wind trends and model forecast bias being major sources of error.

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