OSITAC WITS: Copernicus OSITAC Wind, Sea Ice and Temperature at the Sea Surface Service
WITS will provide operational (Level 3 and 4) observational multi-mission data products derived from upstream satellite earth observation (L2) data. These data products include important sea surface temperature (SST), sea ice and wind variables.
Objectives
WITS is lead by MET Norway, who will manage and coordinate all activities and also be responsible for the OSI TAC Service Desk serving under the central CMS Service Desk. WITS services cover three specific scientific themes: sea surface temperature (SST), sea ice and surface wind. The partners represent leading expertise in these fields, all with long experience in producing and delivering this type of data products, as demonstrated in the pre-operational phase. Consequently, the work will largely be organized thematically, where the SST, sea ice and wind activities will be coordinated by Météo-France, MET Norway and KNMI, respectively, under the overall leadership of MET Norway. All partners will be responsible for their specific production, including external interfaces with upstream satellite data.
WITS will provide elaborated operational (Level 3 and 4) observational multi-mission data products derived from upstream satellite earth observation (L2) data. These data products include sea surface temperature (SST), sea ice and wind variables. They will be both disseminated directly to users as CMS products as well as used internally within the overall CMS system for assimilation into, and/or validation of, ocean analysis and forecasting systems.
All the data is distributed freely on http://marine.copernicus.eu/
Project Summary
The Ocean and Sea Ice Thematic Assembly Centre (OSI TAC) as an integrated part of the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMS) is operated by a consortium comprised of the partners that successfully delivered the OSI TAC service in the MyOcean, MyOcean2 and MyOceanFollow-On projects. The partnership has world-leading expertise in delivering operational services for the marine users, as well as in the associated product and system development. The consortium has adopted the title “Wind, Ice and Temperature at the Sea surface” (WITS) to emphasize the content of the OSI TAC service that is being delivered.
The WITS portfolio is currently comprised of more than 30 products containing wind, sea ice and SST parameters. The geographical domains covered by the products are: Global Ocean, Arctic and Antarctic and the European regional seas. As an example, WITS offer the following products for the Arctic:
- Arctic Ocean High resolution Sea Surface Temperature Analysis (daily mean, 01/10/2012-present)
- Arctic Ocean Sea and Ice Surface Temperature Analysis (daily mean, new)
- Global Ocean - Arctic and Antarctic - Sea Ice Concentration, Edge, Type and Drift (daily mean, 17/09/2010-present)
- Arctic Ocean - Sea Ice Concentration Charts - Svalbard (daily mean, 17/09/2010-present)
- Arctic Ocean – Sea Ice Charts – Greenland (daily mean, weekly mean, 17/09/2010-present)
- Arctic Ocean – High Resolution Sea Ice Edge(daily mean, 17/09/2010-present) *delivered by NERSC
- Global Ocean - High Resolution SAR Sea Ice Drift (irregular, 17/09/2010-present)
- Arctic Ocean - SAR Sea Ice Berg Concentration (irregular, 17/09/2010-present)
- Global Ocean Sea Ice Concentration Time Series REPROCESSED (1978-2009) (daily mean, 17/09/2010-present)
- Arctic Ocean Sea Ice Drift REPROCESSED (1999-ongoing) (daily mean, 17/09/2010-present)
- Arctic Monthly Mean Sea Ice Extent (km²) (Nov 1978-present) (monthly mean, Nov1978;-present)
The WITS products and service will be fully integrated into the CMS, to ensure that the user should not have to worry about where and how to get data and information. To do so, WITS is set up with two Dissemination Units, one for SST and wind products at CNR and one for sea ice products at MET Norway. These are both already implemented and tested in full operation in the MyOcean projects. WITS will also, with its available expertise in key areas for ocean monitoring, contribute to communication and training in order to maximize the general benefit of the CMS efforts.
