Heterogeneous data for Ocean

Modelling studies
Dr TVS Udaya Bhaskar
Scientist ‘F’, Head ODM
INCOIS, MoES, Govt of India
Hyderabad
Modelling for Ocean Forecasting and Process Studies,
IOGOOS & ITCOOcean
6 – 10th Dec, 2021
 Outline of the talk
• Introduction
• Classification of heterogeneous ocean data
• Parameters that are measured.
• Chronology of various types of measurements
• Availability of data
• Applications of long terms data.
• Summary and conclusions
 Climate

Moorings Satellites Floats

Gliders

Radars
Oceanographic Data Classification
• Oceanographic data can be classified
mainly into three categories
–In situ data
• Eulerian and Lagrangian
–Remote sensing
• EOS Satellites
 Parameters of interest
• Temperature
– MBT, XBT, CTD, XCTD, Argo floats, Satellites etc.
• Salinity
– CTD, XCTD, Argo floats, Satellites etc.
• Currents
– ADCP, Current meter moorings, Drifting buoys, HF Radars etc.
• Wind
– Moored Buoys, Satellites etc.
• Wave parameters
– Wave Rider Buoys, Wave Height Meters, Satellites.
• Sound
– Veloci meter, Derived from T/S data,
• Biogeochemical Parameters
– Dissolved Oxygen
– Chlorophyll
– Backscattering
– Turbidity
– Nitrate
– PCO2
– PH
• This is not an exhaustive list and includes many more ……..
 Types of Observations
• Surface only (~ 3 meters depths)
– Mooring with sensors only up to 3 meters depth.
• Sub-Surface
– Including to specific depth or full depth of the ocean (Eg:
XBT, Ship based CTDs etc)
• Fixed platforms
– Time varying and parameters are measured against time
– These are called Eulerian platforms (Eg: Moored buoys)
• Position changing.
– Both position and time varying while parameters are
measured.
– These are called Lagrangian platforms (Eg: Drifters, Argo
floats etc.)
 Ocean Observing Systems – In-situ

Argo Floats Moored Buoys Drifting Buoys XBT Current Meter Research Vessels
Arrays

INCOIS NIOT NIO/INCOIS NIO/INCOIS NIO/INCOIS NCAOR/CMLRE

Tide Deep Ocean Coastal Seismic Network Gliders

Wave Rider Buoys Gauges Tsunami Buoys Radars
SATELLITE

Dharamshala
Samla
Antenna Dehradun
DELHI
Tsunami Buoy
Shillong
NIOT/INCOIS

Bokaro
Bhuj
Bhopal
Acoustic
Transducers

Pune Vishakapattinam
HYDERABAD

Goa
Chennai Diglipur
BPR

INCOIS Thiruvananthapuram
Minicoy

SOI/NIOT NIOT NIOT IMD INCOIS

Ship-based AWS
Wave Height Meter
 Modelling @ INCOIS
• Ocean General Circulation Models.
– Modular Ocean Model (MoM)
– Regional Ocean Model System (ROMS)
– Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HyCOM)
• Wave Models
– Wave Watch III
– Mike
– SWAN
• Tsunami Models
– Tunami N2 model
• Strom Surge
– ADCIRC
• Oil Spill Models
– Genome (use OGCM current output)
• Tools like SARAT
 Use of data in modelling
• Model initialization
– In situ (XBT, CTD, Argo etc.
• Assimilation into models
– In situ (Sub-surface profiles from GTS)
– Remote sensing (SST, Ocean Color, Sea level etc).
• Model validation.
– In situ (point location and along transects)
– Buoys (T/S)
– ADCP (sub-surface currents)
– HFRADARS (surface currents)
– Etc….
 XBT / XCTD Observations
• Long Term Monitoring of Upper Ocean Thermal Fields in the Seas around India by
o Deployment of XBT/XCTD probes along a few selected shipping lanes in the northern Indian
ocean at regular time intervals (Chennai-Port Blair, Kochi-Kavarathi and Port Blair-Kolkata)
fortnightly.
o Collection of information on marine meteorological parameters and surface salinity samples

Ships of Opportunity (Passenger Ships and Merchant Ships)

 XBT / XCTD Transects
(Data Utilisation)
• Data Utilization: Validation of Ocean General Circulation models, to generate Ocean Re-Analysis products,
Variability of Indian Ocean thermo-haline structure.

• Variability of near surface thermohaline

structure of the Lakshadweep Sea
• Rosby waves in the Bay of Bengal
Observations and Simulations
• Thermal fields in the Central Bay of Bengal
• Sea-surface salinity variability I the Bay of
Bengal
• Seasonal variability of barrier layer in the
Arabian Sea
• Westward propagation of temperature
Temperature anomaly at sea surface (black) & at 600m depth (red)
inversions in the southeastern Arabian Sea in the central Bay of Bengal from 24 years XBT data
• Surface Layer inversions in the Bay of Bengal
Data show an increase of ∼0.5◦C in sea-surface temperature over the last
• Seasonal Variability of upper-layer 25 years in the Bay of Bengal I Temperature has increased by ∼0.25◦C at
geostrophic transport in the tropical Indian 600
Ocean
• Anomalous upwelling in the Lakshadweep
Sea during Summer Monsoon
• Determination of dynamic heights in the Bay
of Bengal
• Upper ocean circulation and stratification in
the northern Bay of Bengal. Annual cycle vertical thermal sections along Kochi-Kavarati XBT
transect in the upper 150 m during 2006
 Drawback with observation systems and improvements
Observation type T/S Number per year Max Depth Geographical restriction
• Limited by ship endurance
Ship-based
(100 per month)
temperature and T+S 5000 (to 1000m) Full water depth
• Few at high latitude in winter
salinity
• Typically along lines
Expendable XBT • Along shipping routes
from merchant T 25,000 750m • Avoid high latitude in winter
ships • Many areas unsampled
42,000 (May
• Ice free areas deeper than
Argo T+S 2004) 2000m
2000m
100,000 (2006)

Positions of XBT temperature

profiles from merchant ships in 2002.
Note poor coverage
in southern hemisphere

In 8 years the WOCE Hydrographic survey

collected data from about 30,000 CTD stations

Global coverage at the target of 3° x 3° density

achieved near the end of 2007.

Courtesy: http://www.argo.ucsd.edu
 Novel nature of Argo
• Argo data is unique for several reasons:
– The distribution of data throughout the oceans
is uniform rather than dependent on shipping
lines.
– There is a of lack of seasonal bias since the floats
operate year round.
– The efficient data management network that
provides free automatic quality controlled data
within 24 hours and scientifically quality
controlled, delayed mode data within several
months.
– Multi-national collaboration to deploy, monitor
and analyze floats and their data.
 International Argo Programme
Argo Float Deployments

• The International Argo program is a

collaborative partnership of more than 30 Objectives
nations to provide a unique opportunity to • Improve Ocean and Climate forecasting
map ocean temperature, salinity and • Understand ocean-atmosphere
biogeochemical structure on 3° x 3° interactions
coverage. • Predict seasonal to decadal climate
• It is a component of the Global Ocean variability
Observing System (GOOS). • Wide range of applications for high-
• Sustaining the Argo float array is important quality global ocean analyses
to monitor the thermohaline field of the
upper ocean for seasonal, annual and
decadal time scale.
Floats with additional Journey
Bio-sensors, Deep Argo
Future
2014
2013
Bio-Argo floats with Now Indigenization efforts successful
Chla, Backscattering
Improved CTD type floats
+ floats with DO sensors and NST sensors
In between 2006

Basic CTD type floats

2002
 OMNI Buoy – New generation buoy
with surface and subsurface measurements

• MET
Air humidity,
Met
Pressure
Temperature
Wind Speed, Gust &
Direction Ocean

Irradiation OMNI
Rainfall BUOY
Wave
• OCEAN
Sub surface Temperature,
Salinity & Current profiles
Subsurface
Courtesy: NIOT
• WAVE
Moored Buoy Network
OMNI Buoy Configuration

Temperature Profile

Current Profile
Cyclones Since 1997
 RAMA Network
A new moored buoy array in the historically data-sparse Indian Ocean provides
measurements to enhance monsoon research and forecasting

8 Cruises during 2012-15

3 in BoB
5 in EIO

• Approximately 13 cruises (320 sea days ) for RAMA mooring operations for deployment,
recovery and maintenance
• All data from RAMA are available in GTS and INCOIS website in near real time.
• Data utilization: Data Assimilation, Validation of Ocean model output and satellite parameter
(SST, Wind etc.), bias corrected ocean model forcing field (Tropflux), to understand air-sea
interaction processes in the Tropical Indian Ocean. (So far 85 publications)
 Real-Time Automatic Weather Stations (RAWS)
onboard Research Vessels
AWS onboard ORV Sagar Nidhi

Data utilization:
• Established 36 AWS systems and 1 Wave • Validation of ocean forcing field and satellite
Hight Meter products,
• Parameters Measured: Wind vector, Air • Validation of wave model results
temperature , Sea Surface Temperature,
Relative humidity,
• Generate bias-corrected forcing field
23 (of 36) AWS are active onRainfall,
board shipsLongwave
of MoES,
Radiation, Shortwave Radiation
CSIR, GSI, FSI, NHO,SCI, ONGC etc.
• Data assimilation in NWP models
• At present, 23 AWS are active • Preparation of near surface met-ocean
parameters climatology using AWS
measurements is under process
 Wave Rider Buoy Network
• Established 16 WRB Network.
• Parameter: All wave parameters
• Data return: more than 90% data return.
• All data from wave rider buoy are available at
INCOIS website in near real time.

Data utilization:
• Real-time evaluation of operational
wave forecast
16 Wave Rider Buoys are active • Validation of wave model
• Validation of satellite data
• Research studies (more than 25
publications)

Time histories of significant wave height (in meters) from model and
buoy at a) Gopalpur , b) Vishakhapatnam c)Pondicherry and d)Tuticorin
Indian Tide gauge Network
 Indian Tide gauge Network
 INCOIS installed 34 tide gauge station
along Indian coast line and Islands
 21 tide gauge stations were established in
2010 with three types of Sensors: Radar,
Pressure and Shaft Encoder
 10 new tide gauge stations have been
recently established with Radar sensor.
 Communication through INSAT/GPRS
 Eight Tide gauges data (Chennai, Kochi,
Nancowry, Portblair, Visakhapatnam,
Minicoy, Marmagao and Veraval) to IOC
Sea level stations monitoring facility
Indian Tsunami Buoy Network
 Indian Tsunami Buoys Network
 Real-time Network of 7 Tsunami Buoy
systems
 Six systems are operational, (four SAIC
Tsunami Buoys and two Indigenous
Tsunami Buoys of NIOT)
 Data is being received in real-time via
acoustic & Satellite links
 Seven tsunami buoys (STB01, STB02,
STB03, STB04, STB05, ITB09, and
ITB12) data sharing to NDBC/NOAA

Global Tsunami Buoy Network

 Sea Level Observations for Tsunami Confirmation (Sumatra
EQ 11/04/2012)
• ITEWC Monitored 96 tsunamigenic earthquakes (under sea and coastal) of M ≥ 6.5 in the Indian Ocean since 2007
• Out of 96 events, ITEWC issued threat (Warning/Alert/Watch) bulletins only for 7 events

Tsunami WARNING for Indira Point, Car Nicobar, 1 m at Meulaboh and 0.35 m at
11-Apr-2012 Off west Coast of Komatra & Katchal Islands of A&N Islands. Sabang Indonesia and 0.30 m at
8.5 Campbell Bay
08:38:36 Northern Sumatra ALERT for rest of A&N Islands, Tamilnadu, Andhra
Pradesh. WATCH for few areas in mainland
20 cm at Meulaboh, Indonesia.
11-Apr-2012 Off West Coast of Tsunami ALERT for Nicobar Islands and WATCH for
8.2
10:43:10 Northern Sumatra Andaman Islands and east coast of India.

Sea Level observations for the Earth Quake of M 8.4 on 11-Apr-2012

at 08:32 UTC (Off W.Coast of Northern Sumatra)
 Drifting Buoys
Deployed 350 Drifting Buoys Objectives
since 1990 • To collect surface meteorological (atmospheric pressure and
winds) and oceanographic (SST, surface velocities, and sub-
surface temperature) data using the satellite tracked drifting
buoys.
• To provide near-real time data (SST, sea level pressure and
surface winds on GTS) for operational weather analysis and
prediction
• To develop monthly mean mixed-layer velocities in the Indian
Ocean on 1° x 1° resolution.
• Provide data sets as ‘seatruths’ for validation of remotely
sensed ocean surface parameters
• To build an Indian Ocean drifter data archival.
 ADCP Locations
Objective:
To understand the seasonal,
intra-seasonal and inter-
annual variability of ocean
currents along the Indian
Coast.

19 Moorings
10 Deep water
9 Shallow water

(10 Deep water and 9 Shallow water)

 Coastal HF Radar Network
 5 sets of CODAR are installed at
o Gujarat
o Tamilnadu
o Andhra Pradesh
o Orissa
o Andaman & Nicobar Islands
 Real time data being received at INCOIS &
NIOT
 Enables measurement of Currents to
about 200 Kms from the Coast

• Real-time monitoring of surface

currents along the Indian Coast
• Validation of model forecasts
Transmit
Antenna Receive • Validation of currents monitored
Antenna
by remote sensing satellites
• Search and rescue activities in the
area
Ocean Mixing and Monsoon (OMM): Air-Sea Interaction Research Initiative (ASIRI)
Collaborative between National Monsoon Mission Program, (MoES), India- Office of Naval Research, US

To obtain multi-scale observation in the near surface layer in the Bay of Bengal to
improve our knowledge on the air-sea exchange and sub-mesoscale process
OMM Cruise Tracks INCOIS First Seaglider mission
Total Dives/Profiles: 541/1082)

Parameters: Salinity, Temperature,

Dissolved oxygen, Chlorophyll
~6700 CT profiles were collected. fluorescence, Optical Backscatter, PAR

ASIMET system

Oceanography
Special Issue (IF 3.9)

11 research papers from INCOIS

 Process Specific observational programme
Objective: To observe and understand fine scale processes and its interaction with
large scale systems in the ocean.
 Marine Observation System Along Indian Coast (MOSAIC)
Establishment of coastal observatory
for monitoring Water quality
Goa

Monitoring Harmful Algae Understanding Coastal processes

Mitigate coastal pollution Improving Ocean Modeling

Coastal Water Quality

Nowcasting and forecasting of
Promoting Coastal tourism
coastal water quality
 Ocean Research Vessels

• ORV Sagarkanya – NCAOR

• Sagar Nidhi – NIOT
• Sagar Manjusha – NIOT
• FORV Sagar Sampada – CMLRE
• Sagar Purvi - NIOT
• Sagar Paschami – NIOT
 Ocean Observing Network by India

OTGA-INCOIS Training Course on "Discovery and Use of Operational Ocean Data Products and Services", 18-22 Jun 2018
 Jason ERS
Radarsat
TOPEX

Radar
TRMM
Ocean Observations Imaging
Satellite
NOAA
(AVHRR) through Satellites Oceansat-2
OCM, OScat

Megha
IRS-1C/D Oceansat-1
INSAT Tropiques
IRS OCM, MSMR
P5/P6 Series

Radiometer Radiometer Radiometer

Altimeter Scatterometer SAR
(VIS-TIR) (VIS, NIR) (MW)

uOcean uWind
u Sea Surface uWave Ht. uWave
Colour Speed uSurface
Temperature uSea Level Spectrum
uSST Wind
(SST) uSea Ice uSediment
uCoastal uSea Ice Vector
Elevation
Process Extent
 Remote Sensing Observations

L/X Band Ground Stations Oceansat-2 Ground Station Data Reception and
Coverage
Processing Systems

 Remote Sensing Data Remote Sensing Data products

 Oceansat-2, NOAA-
18 & 19, METOP A
&B, Terra and Aqua
(MODIS), NPP
 In-situ Data SST
FCC
 Argo Floats, Drifting
Buoys in the Indian
Ocean
Data products are published
on INCOIS Web-site with in 5
to 45 minutes after each pass
AOD Chlorophyll-a KD-490 TSM
 Deep Ocean Mission
R&D objectives of Climate Change Services

Climate Change Services

Cyclone Storm surges Biogeochemi

Sea Level Deep Ocean
intensity/ and Wind stry and
Projections Observations
frequency waves ecosystem

Develop Seasonal/decadal Wave model

global/regional framework Projection of PP Deep Argo
prediction of TC
model

Advisory on Projected trend Seasonal Open ocean

OMZ, hypoxia and
seasonal/decadal of TC prediction observatory and
pH
forecast (intens./freq.) coastal station

Projection of Projected
GIS based Projection of
upper ocean heat inundation maps Gliders
vulnerable maps pCO2 and HAB
content
Deep Ocean Mission observation programme
 Marine Fishery Advisory Service

Eddies, Rings, Meanders

Tongue/Mushroom features
Upwelling ,Thermal Fronts

Daily Advisories on
operational basis except
Fishing Ban Period
Data Source
Inclusion of Altimeter Data
Chlorophyll, TSM OCM-2 & MODIS-Aqua
for detection of Eddies,
SST NOAA-AVHRR, MODIS-Aqua & Metop
Fronts and Surface Currents
Surface Currents OSF Forecasted data
 Ocean State Forecast and Information Services/System
• Quantitative, Location specific, user-customised, multi-parameter, multi-lingual, impact
based, and end-to-end ocean state forecast and information operational daily &
package- based services.
Forecast/product generation, validation and dessimination
ATMOSPHERIC FORECASTS (NCMRWF & ECMWF) 12:00 noon

OCEAN MODELS

OCEAN FORECASTS (general,

daily)
(Wave, Swell, SST, Currents, MLD, D20, Tides [5-7
Dissemination days]) Validation
(also by collaborators) (Delayed & real-time)
Starts by 16:30 hrs & using observations

SPECIFIC PRODUCTS
(HWA, Joint IMD-INCOIS bulletins, Oilspill traj.,
Feedbacks Search & Rescue aid,etc.)

Climate scale and water quality forecast systems are under development
Users of different categories
• Global Forecast
• Regional – 7 Regions
General Forecast Products
The 45 User specified products were designed, validated and operationalised
• Coastal – 9 Coastal states of
India
• Island – A&N and Lakshadweep
• Location specific -100
locations
• Tidal forecast system for 178
locations
• Real time validation System
• Forecast dissemination in local
languages
• High resolution Forecast for
West Coast of India

• High Wave/swell/bulletins
• Joint INCOIS – IMD Bulletins
• Bulletins on Ocean State
Forecast along Standard
shipping routes
• Wave surge warning

• Forecast along ship-track

• Eddy Forecasts
• OSF for Neighbouring
countries through RIMES
• Navy specific forecast products
• OSF Web Map Services
• Sea State Forecast for ports and
Harbours
• Online Oil spill advisories
(OOSA)
• Search and Rescue Aid Tool
(SARAT)
OTGA-INCOIS Training Course on "Discovery and Use of Operational Ocean Data Products and Services", 18-22 Jun 2018
 Customized products

OTGA-INCOIS Training Course on "Discovery and Use of Operational Ocean Data Products and Services", 18-22 Jun 2018
 Tsunami Early Warning System
Detection Warnings Dissemination
Participating Institutions
IMD, NIOT, ICMAM, SOI,
NRSC, INCOIS
COMMS Tests MHA, NDMA, Coastal States
Tsunami Drills
Trainings
Bathymetry
Publicity Material

VSAT
Seismic Network
TSUNAMI
WARNINGS!!!

INSAT Capacity Building

Tsunami Modelling

BPR Network
GPRS

Topography

R&D
Paleo-tsunami
INMARSAT
Modelling
GNSS Data Use
Tide gauge Network Costal Vulnerability
Observation Networks Communications Modelling Last mile connectivity
 Monitoring of HABs - Experimental

Avg.
Offshore
extent of
[Chl] > 5μg/L
≈ 90 KM

Data Source
M e a n C h lo r o p h y ll C o n c e n t r a t io n d u r in g B lo o m
Peak bloom OCM-2, MODIS-Aqua,
phase in Sep 2009
18
≈ 4 days VIIRS , AVHRR.
16
c h lo ro p h y ll c o n c e n t ra t io n [ m g /m ^ 3 ]

14
Bloom initiation
12
[indicative of
10 possible
subsurface
8
blooms and/or Monthly Bulletins for Selected
6 vertical
4
resuspension Vulnerable Sectors.
process]
2

0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29

Se p 2009

Kannur K o lla m Kochi M a n g a lo r e 3 0 d a y A n o m a ly

Algal bloom observed on October

19, 2011 has been moving towards
north around 50Kms within
48Hrs with an average speed of
1Km/hr
 Coral Bleaching Alert System (CBAS)
Methodology
HotSpot

CBAS is operational and

Data Source
daily products are
available in ESSO-INCOIS NOAA AVHRR
Website
Degree of Heating Weeks SST Climatology HotSpot Time Series
Thank You