GlobCurrent User Consultation Meeting : Observing surface currents from space

Thanks to satellite and in-situ observations, combined with high resolution numerical ocean models, the last decade has seen advances in the knowledge of the global ocean surface dynamics, filled with a large number of various mesoscale (~100 km) and sub-mesoscale (<~10 km) meandering surface currents and eddies. However, the challenge is to accurately quantify the surface current associated with these features. Multi-variable observations from past and presently operating remote sensing satellite sensors, including altimeters, gradiometers, scatterometers, SAR, IR and passive microwave radiometers and spectrometers provide information on various aspects of the ocean surface currents, but there is an inconsistency in coverage, spatial scales, depth representation and whether, for instance, tides and wind components are included.

The ESA-funded GlobCurrent project aims to provide a synergistic combination of these multiple sensing technologies and their differing depth dependency together with a range of processing methods and tools. This User Consultation Meeting offers a preview of early work from the first year of the project and an opportunity to influence the future development through evaluation of preliminary products, clarification of user requirements and discussion of how the system will develop.