RIASSUNTO
ABSTRACT.
Jean-François Minster, President of Ifremer, France’s Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea, has played an important role in the development of the study of oceans by satellite. He has authored numerous scientific publications and works, including La Machine Océan, and is a member of France’s prestigious European Academy of Sciences. In the following presentation, Mr. Minster delivers an update on the European Partners and Programmes that form part of the global observation network monitoring the oceans with an aim to predicting long-range weather conditions, natural disasters, and climate change.
INTRODUCTION
We are talking about an evolutionary system’ Operational oceanography aims at providing services and products to users of the ocean, and to help in sustainable exploitation of its resources. It includes monitoring activities, systems allowing impact studies, and prediction systems, all three aspects being complementary. It is most appropriate that the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission puts its development as its central activity.
1. THE SCHEME OF OPEN OCEAN OPERATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY IN FRANCE
1.1. The CNES (French Space Agency)/National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Jason-1 and its Jason-2 extension Jason-1 was launched on 7 December 2001, on the same orbit as Topex/Poseidon. It carries an altimetry payload derived from Topex/Poseidon. The Jason-1 commissioning phase was successfully completed on 4 March 2002. Jason Operational Sensor Data Records are delivered within three hours. An international effort is being made in the operational high precision satellite altimetry programme, with the recent decision of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (Eumetsat) to contribute to Jason-2. 1.2. Coriolis Coriolis is the French contribution to ARGO (an international programme that calls for the deployment of 3,000 free drifting profiling floats distributed over the global oceans by 2006).