The 2nd National Oceanic Data Assimilation Symposium

3-6 Nov. 2004, the 2nd National Oceanic Data Assimilation Symposium (ODAS04) was held in Changshu City, Jiangsu Province. Over 40 representatives from 14 research organizations and universities attended the meeting. This symposium was sponsored by the Key Lab of Oceanic Dynamic Processes and Satellite Oceanography (SOA), the Second Institute of Oceanography (SOA), the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (CAS), and the Climate and Environment Committee of Chinese Industrial and Applied Mathematics Association.

The ODAS04 was presided over by Professor Xu Jianping from the Second Institute of Oceanography (SOA), who is the Chief Scientist of China Argo Project. There were 21 papers exchanged in the meeting, which are related to the oceanic data assimilation method, the application of assimilation technology, the global ocean observing system, and the ocean observation data collecting, processing and quality controlling. Among them, there were 11 reports related to Argo data application research (Annex 1), especially to the application results in the operational forecasting system.

This meeting has sufficiently presented the research achievements in the oceanic data assimilation field, particularly in the Argo data application since the first symposium (ODAS03) held October 2003, and also showed the function and situation of Chinese academic society in this new front area. Nearly half of the reports were related to the Argo data, of which showing the developing process of China Argo project and the reward from its data freely distributed nation widely, and also greatly promoting the research activities in the oceanic data application and assimilation. In this sense, this meeting (ODAS04) could be regarded as the first Argo data workshop in China.

Annex 1:  The exchanged papers in the ODAS04 related to Argo Programme  

1. Using Argo and TAO data to improve an Intermediate complex Tropical Pacific Model and its assimilation experiment

Yin Yonghong et al. Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, CMA

2. A primary result of 3-D variational assimilation of the Argo and TAO Data

Niu Tao et al. Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, CMA

3. The assimilation experiment of the XBT, Argo and Altimeter data in the Tropical Pacific Ocean

Yan Changxiang et al. Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

4. The Application of Argo Data to BCC-GOADS

Liu Yimin et al. National Climate Center of China, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Science

5. The influence of Argo data on the Tropical Pacific Data Assimilation System

Xu Li et al. Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

6. Using Argo data to study the circulation and water mass in the North West Pacific Ocean

    Xu Jianping et al. Second Institute of Oceanography, SOA

7. The new situation of the Global Argo programme

    Liu Zenghong et al. Second Institute of Oceanography, SOA

8. Analyzing on the Argo data quality control

    Tong Mingrong et al. Second Institute of Oceanography, SOA

9. Using Argo assimilation data to improve the Global Air-Sea Coupled Model for Seasonal Forecasting

    Li Qingquan et al. Yin Yonghong et al. Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, CMA

10. Using the Argo float poisons to estimate the Model Midwater Current

    Xie Jiping et al. Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

11. Primary analyzing on the Argo data in the Tropical Pacific Ocean

    Chen Hua, South China Sea Institute of Oceanography, Chinese Academy of Sciences

The 5th International Argo Science Team Meeting

AST-5 was held in March 3 – 6, 2003 at Xizi Hotel by the West Lake, Hangzhou China. 54 participants including the members of AST and representatives from 11 countries of USA, UK, France, Canada, Australia, Germany, Japan, Italy, Korea, Russia and China attended the meeting., in which 12 were from China.

The opening ceremony of the meeting was chaired by Prof. Xu Jianping. Chairman of the Local Organization Committee of the meeting, member of AST and research fellow of the Second Institute of Oceanography (SIO), State Oceanic Administration (SOA). Prof. Su Jilan, Chairman of IOC, Honorable Director-General of SIO and Director of the Key Lab of Ocean Dynamic Process and Satellite Oceanography, SOA, and Mr. .Li Haiqing, Director-General of the Department of International Cooperation, SOA and Director of the Office of China Argo Program participated in and congratulated the meeting with warm speeches. Prof. Li Jiabiao, Deputy Director-General of SIO spoke at the meeting on behalf of the host.

AST-5 reviewed the progresses made and problems faced by the Argo programs of different countries since AST-4, and discussions were centered on the quality control and distribution of real-time and delayed Argo data, improvement of the performance of Argo floats and settlement of the technical problems of the sensor and communication system. Statistics show that till January 20, 2003, 650 floats had been deployed in Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Southern Oceans by 15 member states of the international Argo program, in which 16 were deployed by China in Pacific and Indian Oceans.

The meeting decided to hold the First Argo Science Workshop in Tokyo, Japan in November 11 – 14 to review the preliminary results of using Argo data to study and solve oceanographic and climatological problems.

The annual AST meeting is held once a year, the first one was in Easton Maryland, USA in 1999 and the second, third and forth were in Southampton, UK, Sidney, Canada and Hobart, Australia separately. The sixth will be in Paris, France in March 2004.

AST-5 got strong care and support form the Department of Basic Research of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Department of International Cooperation and the Department of Science and Technology of the State Oceanic Administration and the Project Office of “Study on the formation mechanism and prediction theory of significant climate disasters of our country” from the State Key Basic Research and Development Program. The Second Institute of Oceanography, SOA and the State Key Laboratory of Satellite Ocean Environment Dynamics offered the meeting a very beautiful and comfortable place. The meeting arranged a tour of the West Lake which left wonderful impression on the participants.

Under the chairmanship of Prof. Dean Reommich, Chairman of AST and Professor of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, USA, the meeting got a full success and won widespread acclaim of all the participants from different countries.