CCAR Near Real Time and Historical Altimeter Data Server http://eddy.colorado.edu/ccar/data_viewer/index Bob Leben March 2015 GCOOS BOD Meeting
CCAR Near Real Time Altimeter Data System! In late 1995, the CCAR Near Real Time (NRT) Altimeter Data System project began as a demonstration program in the GoM based on NRT altimeter data streams from the TOPEX and ERS-1&2 satellite missions.! The quick-look processing was designed to map mesoscale sea surface height (SSH) variability in the Gulf of Mexico.! In early 1996, processing was sufficiently optimized so that global maps could be made of mesoscale SSH anomaly and posted online at CCAR daily by 12:00 p.m. MST.! Developed with NASA Ocean Surface Topography Science Team (OSTST) and NASA/JPL Outreach Grants.! Was the first operational online near real-time ocean altimeter data system.
Graphics Files Created by Users of CCAR Web Server
CCAR Historical Data Archive The CCAR Altimeter Data System was redesigned from the ground up with a NASA OSTST Grant from 2008-2012.! All codes translated from Fortran to MATLAB.! Historical database moved to the Radar Altimeter Database System (RADS) supported by NOAA Laboratory for Satellite Altimetry (LSA).! Processing of non-repeat data added to support non-repeat track altimetry from ERS-1, Envisat, Jason-1 and Cryosat. This allowed a reanalysis of the 1993 to present historical record and the rapid addition of new missions to the NRT processing. The web server graphical interface to both the near real-time and historical data archives was also updated.
Seasat Jul-Aug 1978: Loop Current and Eddy
LCE Separation & Retreat Latitude: 34-year Record Pre-Altimetry Altimetry
GCOOS SSH Online Archive of GoM SSH from CCAR Historical Mesoscale SSH Archive! Research quality data.! Years 2004-2014.! Each year of data can be downloaded in NetCDF format.! Animations of each year in the archive can also be viewed.! The Feb 14 GCOOS Newsletter highlighted the dataset.
GCOOS Funding Support & Outlook! GCOOS funding level is ~$20K per year. This funding has provided student support for graduate and undergraduate students working on the CCAR Altimeter Data System. Currently two hourly students are supported by the contract.! In the past two years GCOOS has provided ~$2K per year to the data system maintenance and operations (M&O) cost.! GCOOS funding is leveraged with ~$50K of funding from NASA/JPL outreach in FY 15, which provides salary support for me to perform student training and outreach activities. This funding, however, is half of what it was 3 years ago.! Nevertheless, with the redesign of the data system and use of undergraduate students this remains a viable operational remote sensing data system at this funding level.
Activities proposed with current funding Key activities this year:! Add Jason-3 altimetry to data system after launch in July.! Reconfigure Jason-2 processing to tandem interleaved orbit after calibration and validation of Jason-3. Some other activities that might be pursued with current funding:! Loop Current metrics and Loop Current Eddy climatology.! Yucatan Channel transport.! Highlights GoM operational applications and research performed with altimetry.. Colorado. Center for Astrodynamics Research University. of Colorado Boulder.
Athie et al., 2015 - GRL
Offshore Operational Support: Gulf of Mexico Data User: Capt. Karl Greig, captain of a large anchor handling tug boat owned by Edison Chouest Offshore. Application: Route finding for towing semi-submersible drilling rigs used in deepwater oil and gas exploration. Operation: Moving a rig from Mississippi Canyon block 68 to Mustang Island block 68, a total of 425 nautical miles. Typical towing speeds are 3 to 4 knots so avoiding and/or using eddy currents significantly reduces transit times, in this case by over 50 hours. Altimeter Product Used: Overlays of geostrophic velocity vectors on colored magnitudes values accessed on CCAR website by satellite phone. Estimated Savings: $650,000 in rig downtime and towing costs.
Near real-time currents: August 15, 2003 x Mustang Island lease block x Mississippi Canyon lease block
Sport Sailing The dataset was highlighted in The dataset was highlighted in
THANKS!