Report of the Tropical Moored Buoy Implementation Panel

to the

22nd Session of the Data Buoy Cooperation Panel

October 16-20, 2006San Diego, United States

Current ConditionsSST is warmer than normal across the equatorial Pacific

Thermocline is deeper than normal in eastern Pacific.

EL NIÑO/SOUTHERN OSCILLATION (ENSO) DIAGNOSTIC DISCUSSION

(CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER/NCEP October 5, 2006)

SST departures in the Niño regions all greater than +0.5

Oceanic and atmospheric anomalies are consistent with the early stages of El Niño

ENSO DIAGNOSTIC DISCUSSION CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER/NCEP

October 6, 2005 

Statistical and coupled model predictions indicate El Niño conditions for the remainder of 2006 and into the NH spring (SH fall) 2007.

Tropical Moored Array GTS• All moorings on multi-sat • Increased duty cycle (8 16 hours/day)

TAO/PIRATA/IO GTS Wind Data

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ArgosPMEL

TAO STATUS

Vandalism

Buoys move and sensors fail.

Fishing boats often found near buoys and fishing gear in moorings.

TAO Enhancements

• SSS on all TAO moorings in 2007• Heat, fresh water and momentum

flux at 4 equatorial TAO sites (165ºE, 170ºW, 140ºW, 110ºW)

• Support OceanSITES program

TAO Transition• TAO Data Processing and Distribution at NDBC since

Oct 2005• Parallel Testing completed in Sep 2006• NDBC assumes responsibility for field operations in Jan

2007• Prototype “refreshed” moorings deployed in spring 2007• PMEL responsible for preparation and maintenance of

ATLAS instrumentation

PIRATA STATUS

PIRATA Enhancements• SW Extension – Brazil/US. 2005• Heat, momentum and fresh water flux measurements on 3 moorings -

2006• NE Extension - AOML/PMEL added 2 moorings in 2006. Additional 2

moorings in 2007.• SE Extension – 2006. 1 year only. South Africa (U. Capetown). France

and US.

2006 PIRATA Enhancements• NE Extension to improve understanding and

prediction of tropical Atlantic variability• Region of Atlantic cyclone development

HELENE

11.5ºN 23ºW

2006 PIRATA Enhancements15ºN 38ºW

HELENE

PIRATA Issues• PIRATA Review: Should PIRATA continue?

• Restructure responsibilities?

• Ship requirements

• Vandalism

Ron Brown, May-June 2006

A. K. Armah and colleagues. University of Ghana

Indian Ocean Moored Buoy Array

Indian Ocean Status

• 2000/2001 JAMSTEC deployed 2 TRITON and 1 subsurface ADCP and has maintained sites. • 2004 PMEL/NIO/NCAOR deployed 4 ATLAS and 1 subsurface ADCP from Sagar Kanya• 2006 PMEL/NIO/NCAOR deployed 5 ATLAS and 1 subsurface ADCP from Sagar Kanya• 2006 PMEL/BPPT to deploy 2 ATLAS from Baruna Jaya I• 2006 JAMSTEC MISMO Experiment• 2007 PMEL/IRD/IFREMER to deploy 1 ATLAS (Flux) and 1 subsurface ADCP from Suroit for

CIRENE• 2007 PMEL/? (BPPT?, FIO?) proposed subsurface ADCP

Indian Ocean Data

22 month long ADCP raw data record reveals seasonal and intraseasonal near surface current variability

Oct 2004 – Oct 2005

Oct 2005 – Sep 2006

Indian Ocean Issues• Vandalism is a serious problem• 3 of surface moorings not recovered• New/modified mooring design?• 22 month deployments are well beyond

mooring design lifetime and contribute to lower data quality and quantity

• Adequate and regular ship time is necessary to build and maintain the array

For More Informationhttp://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tao/