Future observational and modelling needs identified on the basis of the existing shelf data
Berlamont, J.; Radach, G.; Becker, G.; Colijn, F.; Gekeler, J.; Laane, R.W.P.M.; Monbaliu, J.; Prandle, D.; Sündermann, J.; Van Raaphorst, W.; Yu, J.C.S. (1996). Future observational and modelling needs identified on the basis of the existing shelf data, in: NOWESP: 2. Compilation of scientific reports. pp. 10 [1-19]
In: (1996). NOWESP: 2. Compilation of scientific reports. North-West European Shelf Programme (NOWESP): Hamburg. 324 pp., more
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| Authors | | Top |
- Berlamont, J., more
- Radach, G., more
- Becker, G.
- Colijn, F., more
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- Gekeler, J.
- Laane, R.W.P.M., more
- Monbaliu, J., more
- Prandle, D.
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- Sündermann, J.
- Van Raaphorst, W.
- Yu, J.C.S.
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| Abstract |
NOWESP has compiled a vast quantity of existing data from the north-west European shelf, such a focused task is without precedence. It is now highly recommended that one, or a few national and international data centers or agencies should be chosen and properly supported by the EU, where all available observational data, incl. the NOWESP data, are collected, stored, regularly updated by the providers of the data, and made available to the researchers. International agreement must be found on the quality control procedures and quality standards for data, to be stored in these data bases. Proper arrangements should be made to preserve the economic value of the data for their 'owners' without compromising the use of the data by researchers, or to allow for unnecessary duplication of data collecting efforts. The Continental Shelf data needed are concentration fields for temperature, salinity, nutrients, suspended matter and chlorophyll, which can be called 'climatological' fields. For this purpose at least one survey on the whole European shelf is needed for each month at least during five years, with a proper spatial resolution, e.g. 10 by 10, and at least in those areas where climatological data are now totally lacking. From the modelling point of view an alternative would be the availability of data from sufficiently representative fixed stations on the shelf, with weekly sampling for several years. It should be realized that there are hardly any data available on the shelf boundaries. Therefore one should consider a European effort to set up a limited network of stations, especially at the shelf edge, where a limited, selected set of parameters is measured on a long time basis (time series) to be able to use them for modelling, for interpretation of long term natural changes in the marine environment and changes due to human interference (eutrophication, pollutants, climatic changes. biodiversity changes). The EU could foster coordination of nationally organized measuring campaigns in Europe. Methodologies should be promoted to collect areal distributed data sets through remote sensing (satellite or aircraft borne) techniques. The formulations of basic physics should be improved: turbulence must be simulated in a way that more closely represents nature. There is a need for a well validated, detailed shelf circulation model, which represents the measured data properly during long term simulations. Tides must always be included since they are important for mixing. A detailed North Atlantic ocean circulation model should be developed to provide proper boundary conditions at the shelf edge. The physics of the exchanges at the shelf edges, between the ocean models and the shelf models should be studied and better formulated. |
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