This ITT is part of the Ocean Science Cluster and contributes to the joint EC-ESA Earth System Science Initiative launched in February 2020 by the European Space Agency and the European Commission (EC) Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD) to jointly advance Earth System Science and its response to the global challenges that society is facing in the onset of this century.
In particular this ITT aims to contribute at closing the research gaps on Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) in support of global assessments. In addition, this activity is part of the ESA Atlantic Regional Initiative. Finally, it is an ESA contribution to United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) and to the scientific efforts of major international science groups such as SOLAS or CLIVAR.
An improved monitoring and understanding of the upper ocean dynamics is of paramount importance for addressing key scientific challenges related to climate and weather patterns, heat exchange, carbon cycling, ecosystem health, extreme events, etc. The physical processes characterizing the upper ocean dynamics strongly vary from one location of the ocean to the other, in particular when going from equatorial and tropical areas, to the mid-latitudes and the polar seas.
In this context, the main objectives of the “Ocean Science Cluster – Research Opportunity: Upper Ocean Dynamic” project are to:
- develop and validate innovative methods based on the huge synergistic opportunities offered by the increasing EO European satellites and specially the data provided by the Sentinel missions, together with in-situ observations and novel AI and ML technologies to improve the data-driven reconstruction of the upper ocean dynamics in three distinct dynamical areas of the Equatorial and North Atlantic Ocean: the equatorial and tropical band, the mid-latitudes and the Arctic seas,
- exploit this newly developed products together with other information and tools and a multi-disciplinary approach to Science to address high impact scientific questions in the targeted areas and contribute filling major scientific gaps in our understanding of the ocean and its role in the Earth Climate system.
Learn more about this Invitation To Tender on the esa-star Publication page.