CORIOLIS Information System

An operational oceanographic system is being developed in France to monitor and forecast ocean behavior. CORIOLIS is part of the global ARGO programme (world wide deployement of 3000 subsurface drifters). The operational oceanographic in France is composed of 3 projects: sea-surface observation using satellite sensors ; in situ measurements from ships, moored or drifting autonomous systems ; assimilation of in-situ and satellite data in an ocean circulation model. CORIOLIS contributes to the in-situ part of this system, with the objective of developing continuous, automatic and permanent observation networks.
The data collected will enable water properties to be mapped, such as temperature, and ocean circulation. The Coriolis data center receives data from satellite link, validates and distributes them to operational ocean forecasting centers and to National Weathers Services. Understanding, monitoring, as well as forecasting, ocean-circulation variability requires a number of combined theoritical studies, in-situ measurements and numerical modes. Coriolis helps to extend our knowledge in a such a way as to improve the management and conservation of our ocean resources and global environment. CORIOLIS maintains a web site where data is freely accessed and displayed.

The overall objective of the MEDAR/MEDATLAS project is to make available a comprehensive data product of temperature, salinity and bio-chemical data in the Mediterranean and Black Sea, through a wide co-operation of the bordering countries. A first pilot initiative (MEDATLAS 97) has made available temperature and salinity data, observed and gridded including 50695 stations TS (33916 bottle casts and 16749 CTD) et 147 129 low resolution subsurface temperature profiles (MBT, XBT). The gridded climatological data were computed annually and seasonnaly, and also monthly fo the temperature on 0.25x0.25 square degree. The electronic climatological atlas includes horizontal maps of temperature and salinity distribution.
The new update in preparation will give more data (about 132 700 high resolution profiles from bottle casts and CTD and 156 400 XBT/MBT), more parameters (nutrients) and better information (meta-data) on the cruises and data sources.

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