Category: Scientists
Coral reefs in Fatu Huku island
The uninhabited coral reef island of Fatu Huku in the southeastern Marquesas Islands is explored in a brand new chapter of the Seafloor Geomorphology as Benthic Habitat (Second Edition) book, published by Elsevier. The discussion of the relationships between its benthic habitats and morphometry (bathymetry, slope, hotspots, and ecotones) is based on data collected and …
Performance evaluation for the QAA algorithm to retrieve particulate backscattering
The Quasi-Analytical Algorithm was developed to derive inherent optical properties by analytically inverting the spectral remote-sensing reflectance. It is the algorithm used in the ESA Ocean-colour CCI project to retrieve particulate optical backscattering (bbp). Due to the high uncertainties still associated to QAA global retrievals of bbp, reliable accuracy estimates of the QAA are essential …
Ocean acidification monitoring with EO-derived salinity and temperature
Empirical algorithms using satellite observed salinity from SMOS and Aquarius, as well as CCI SST, have been demonstrated to be suitable to calculate total alkalinity and total dissolved inorganic carbon, and reproduce the wider spatial patterns of these two variables. Improving our ability to monitor ocean carbonate chemistry has become a priority as the …
A collaboration on Ocean science just kicked-off
Society is facing today a number of global environmental challenges requiring the better understanding and monitoring of the interconnected Earth System processes. Ocean is one key gearing of this complex engine. However, knowledge gaps remain in order to better understand, characterize and monitor its role in all major Earth System global cycles (e.g. water, energy, …
6th ESA Advanced Training Course on Ocean Remote Sensing in Crete
The 6th ESA Advanced Training Course on Ocean Remote Sensing, also referred to as Advanced Ocean Synergy Training Course, is taking place from 4 to 8 November 2019 at the Center of Mediterranean Architecture, Chania, Crete (Greece). Organized in cooperation with the Technical University of Crete, this course is part of a series dedicated to training …
Can oceans turn the tide on the climate crisis?
The recent IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere highlights how we all depend on oceans and ice, and how they are intrinsic to the health of our planet – but stresses the many ways in which they are being altered by climate change. Read the full article
Global variability of optical backscattering by non‐algal particles from a biogeochemical‐Argo data set
The quality of estimations for carbon export and sequestration depends on how well the spatio-temporal dynamics of non-algal particles in open ocean are understood. Non-algal particles include organisms such as bacteria or viruses, cell debris and other organic particles, as well as mineral particles, bubbles and plastics. The accumulation of these particles is only partially …
Quantifying the impact of linear regression model in deriving bio-optical relationships: the implications on ocean carbon estimations
Recent research by ESA Living Planet Fellow Marco Bellacicco in the frame of project PHYSIOGLOB gives new insights on how the choice of the regression method influences the derived bio-optical relationships in optical and satellite oceanographic studies. The authors compare the results obtained with diverse regression methods on the same bio-optical data set and quantify …
SMOS and extreme events
Experiments show that SMOS can help improve errors in extreme events forecast lead times by 36–72 hours in the extratropics.