Janet W. Campbell

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Science enabled by new measurements of ocean
properties from geostationary orbit (GEO-CAPE,
etc)
Janet W. Campbell University of New
Hampshire and William (Barney) Balch Bigelow
Laboratory for Ocean Sciences Thanks to our
scribes Marjy Friedrichs and Paul DiGiacomo
NASA Carbon Cycle and Ecosystems Joint Science
Workshop Adelphi, Maryland April 28, 2008
11/8/2014
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What is the GEO-CAPE Mission?

• GEO-CAPE consists of three instruments in
• geosynchronous Earth orbit near 80W longitude
• UV-visible-near-IR wide-area imaging spectrometer
  (7-km nadir pixel) capable of mapping North and
  South America from 45S to 50N at about hourly
  intervals,
• steerable high-spatial-resolution (250 m)
  event-imaging spectrometer with a 300-km field of
  view, and
• IR correlation radiometer for CO mapping over a
  field consistent with the wide-area spectrometer.

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Questions

• What science is enabled by new measurements
• high-temporal-frequency? many views per day
• high-spatial-resolution? 250 meter at nadir
• 10-nm spectral resolution (UV-NIR)

• Context of two broad scientific goals
• to understand how coastal marine ecosystems
  respond to variability in physical and chemical
  environment
• forcings gtgt phytoplankton gtgt higher tropic
  levels
• to understand the carbon fluxes between land and
  coastal ocean, and coastal ocean and deep ocean

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Geostationary the only satellite-based method to
discriminate physical from biological forcing in
the surface ocean at frequencies shorter than
once per day

• Physical forcings
• Tides have a major effect on observed
  variability
• lateral displacement
• vertical mixing and resuspension
• sinking (position of tidal fronts)
• Horizontal eddy diffusion processes
• Biological forcings
• Diurnal cycles in cell division and fluorescence
• Diurnal cycles in grazing

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Geostationary high temporal resolution (hourly)
enables coherent observations of rates of change

• Derived variables (pools)
• POC phytoplankton biomass and detritus
• PIC calcite, inorganic sediment
• DOC region-specific relationship with CDOM
• DIC surface ocean pCO2, carbonate and
  bicarbonate

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Spatial resolution (250 n) is important..

• Size of phytoplankton patches is related to
  physical dispersion rates and growth rates in
  coastal waters growth must counteract physical
  dispersion for patches to exist (e.g. Harmful
  Algal Bloom patches).
• 250-meter size is ideal -- get info at scale of
  estuaries and upwelling hot spots near coast
• Observations of rainfall, land-cover/land-use
  changes, and effects on coastal ocean (air and
  water including ground water)

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• Questions
• What do we need to do scientifically to use these
  new measurements and/or to get ready for the
  mission?

• Examples might include
• algorithm development
• model development
• coordinated field campaigns
• sustained coastal ocean observing systems

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Observations made several times per day, together
with ancillary information and models, will be
used to quantify the pools and pathways of carbon
in the coastal ocean.
Carbon pools are observed at times t1, t2,
throughout the day.
Derived variables (pools) POC
phytoplankton biomass and detritus PIC
calcite, inorganic sediment DOC
region-specific relationship with CDOM DIC
surface ocean pCO2, carbonate and bicarbonate
Models System of models in which the regional
carbon-cycle model is nested within a basin-scale
ocean and atmospheric circulation model. Within
the region, carbon cycle model includes the
effects of the physical circulation, biology and
biogeochemistry.
Observed rates of change will be modeled
dCx/dt P L horizontal vertical
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• Questions
• Major issues to be resolved ?

• Major issues include
• what in situ coastal observing system is needed
  for cal/val and to make ancillary measurements?
• what is the needed spectral resolution?
• what is needed in SN?
• what is needed in ground data system (volume of
  data, archiving, reprocessing)?
• who decides what events take priority?