Global oceans archive gets an upgrade
The GMACMD is a worldwide collection of oceanographic data gathered over time. The data are mainly derived from moored ocean current meters, temperature sensors and other in situ sources. Funded by the EU, the GSOC (Global statistics of ocean currents) initiative increased the size of the GMACMD database and worked to implement automatic quality control checks for the platform. GSOC wanted to estimate the energy dissipated globally through interactions of ocean currents with the seafloor. Researchers found that previous estimates are too low, mainly because their models of deep currents were not validated with in situ measurements. They therefore aimed to help improve climate simulations through important changes to models of thermohaline circulation (sometimes called the oceanic conveyor belt). The researchers wanted to determine the accuracy of ocean currents simulated using global models of tides and general circulation. GSOC was able to expand the GMACMD from approximately 44 000 records to over 76 000. It now represents the largest freely available collection of such records. GSOC results will be useful for many applications, including planning new observation programmes like satellite missions and validating ocean modelling projects. The efforts will also help scientists understand and compare physical processes with theoretical predictions of ocean behaviour.
Keywords
GMACMD, oceanographic data, ocean current, GSOC, thermohaline circulation, ocean modelling