RAMAResearch Moored Array for African-

Asian-Australian Monsoon Analysis and Prediction

M. J. McPhadenand

G. Meyers, K. Ando,Y. Masumoto, V. S. N. Murty, M. Ravichandran, F. Syamsudin, J. Vialard, L. Yu, W. Yu

EGU General AssemblyVienna, Austria15 April 2008Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc., in

preparation

Outline

Scientific rationale Design specifications Implementation status Examples of early data

Challenges & opportunities

RAMA

RAMA: In Hindu mythology, an ancient king of India and hero of the epic “Ramayana”.

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QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

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Summer

The Indian Monsoon

Indian Ocean Climate Science Drivers

Seasonal monsoon variability

Interannual variations: ENSO Impacts and the Indian Ocean Dipole (ENSO-like phenomenon in the Indian Ocean)

Intraseasonal (30-90 day period) oscillations and far field impacts (ENSO, hurricane formation, west coast US rainfall)

Decadal variability

Warming trends since the 1970s

Ocean circulation (Indonesian Throughflow, shallow and deep overturning circulation, monsoon currents, etc.)

Indian Ocean Dipole

The Issue

Progress in describing, understanding, and predicting has been limited in part by a general lack of long data records from the Indian Ocean region.

Many international programs have been carried out in the Indian Ocean since the International Indian Ocean Expedition in the 1960s, but they have not left a legacy of comprehensive sustained observations.

CLIVAR and GOOS established an Indian Ocean Panel in 2004 to design and guide the implementation of an Indian Ocean Observing System for climate.

Indian Ocean Observing System (IndOOS)

Multi-platform

Satellite & in situ

Basin scale

Long-term

Priority on real-time

See CLIVAR Exchanges, October 2006

ATLASTRITON

Moorings

AdvantagesRapid sampling in time to resolve high frequenciesInstruments recovered to allow post-calibrationFixed grid array so time and space are not mixedMulti-variate (ocean, atmosphere, biogeochemical)

RAMA

Basin scale, upper ocean (500 m) focus.

Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Eq. Waveguide, Thermocline ridge (5°-10°S), subtropical subduction, Java upwelling.

Design supported by numerical model observing system studies.

RAMA

Present Status

38% complete (18 out of 47 Sites; 4 Flux Reference Sites)

Indian Ocean Dipole, 2006

Neutral=±0.5°C

Comparison of Oct-Nov 2004 & 2006

ADCP Time Series

Wyrtki Jets

ADCP Time Series

Stronger EUC in Feb-Mar 06

Biweekly oscillations

Deployment with flux enhancements8°S, 67°E

CIRENE ATLAS Mooring

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2006-07 cyclone season

Cyclone Dora

Response to Dora

Indian Ocean Heat Fluxes

(1) Numerical weather prediction (NWP) models often overestimate latent heat loss.

(2) ISCCP overestimates solar radiation but underestimates the long wave radiation.

(3) At 0, 80E, NWP fluxes are underestimated by 40-60 W m-2

(4) OAFlux latent heat flux compares best with buoy estimates.

Latent

Sensible

Solar

Longwave

Net

Three Challenges

Ship time (≥ 140 days per year to maintain full array)

Funding

Vandalism by Fishermen

Vandal-Resistant Mooring Design Modifications

ATLAS

-Make sensors and equipment more difficult to remove by using specialized hardware

Conehead buoys-Remove vulnerable sensors-Make buoys harder to board-Remove buoy attachment points

Conehead buoy

80°E Process Study, 2008-11

Expanded ADCP array along 80.5 ºE will include some moorings enhanced for upper ocean T and S measurements. Two surface moorings will have vandal resistant design.

Indian Ocean International Cooperation and Capacity

Building for RAMA

• USA (NOAA) and Indonesia (DKP and BPPT) signed an MOU

• USA (NOAA) and Japan (JAMSTEC) are drafting an updated MOU

• USA (NOAA) and India (MoES) will sign an MOU in April 2008

• China (SOA) and Indonesia (DKP) signed an MOU

• U.Paris/IFREMER and NOAA/PMEL collaborated to expand into SW Indian Ocean

Tsunami/RAMA cruise RV Baruna Jaya III Sept

2007

Summary RAMA has been endorsed by the international community is under development

Data will find applications inresearch, model

development, ocean state estimation, forecast initialization and validation,

satellite validation There are challenges to full implementation, but they being addressed

Opportunities exist for inclusion of sensors to support biogeosciences programs and for coordination with the tsunami hazards community

RAMA