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7.3.4 Indian Panel 

Fritz  Schott  reported  on  the  first  meeting  and  activities  of  the  new  CLIVAR/IOC 

Indian  Ocean  Panel  (IOP).  His  presentation,  prepared  with  Gary  Meyers  (IOP  chair),  is 

available  on  the  meeting  website.  While  a  CLIVAR  Asian Australian  Monsoon  Panel 

(AAMP) has existed for 8 years, the Indian Ocean Panel was formed to specifically address a 

sustained ocean observing system for climate variability research, and is tasked with building 

an  implementation  plan.  The  scientific  questions  that  will  be  addressed  are:  monsoon  and 

intraseasonal variability (mostly in the domain of the AAMP), shallow and deep overturning 

circulations,  the  Indian  Ocean  dipole/zonal  mode,  decadal  warming  trends,  carbon  and 

biogeochemistry, the Indonesian throughflow, and global linkages. The presentation includes 

some of the latest results from these areas. 

Progress has been made in putting together an implementation plan. It will include a 

tropical Indian Ocean moored array including measurements in the subtropical wave regime 

in the southern hemisphere (to about 15  S) and flux measurements on the equator and in the 

southeastern subtropics. It will also include XBT lines, carbon and standard hydrography, and 

throughflow monitoring. There are a few commitments to elements already, with 3 Japanese 

Triton moorings and a number of Indian moorings already deployed. There is a good network 

of tide gauges, though data availability remains a problem, and the Argo network is growing 

in  the  Indian  Ocean.  A  modeling  workshop  in  November/December  2004  in  Hawaii  will 

address some of the sampling questions. 

Future challenges for the IOP are to complete the implementation plan, to work out the 

best mix of observations required by models, to build bridges between the coastal and open 

ocean observing communities, and to develop an integrated research theme on the role of the 

Indian  Ocean  in  climate  variability  and  change  that  spans  the  full  ocean  width  and  depth. 

Another  challenge  would  be  integrating  with  efforts  in  the  Southern  Ocean.  The  OOPC 

welcomed  the  efforts  of  the  IOP,  noting  the  growing  understanding  of  the  influence  of  the 

Indian  Ocean  sector  on  other  parts  of  the  global  climate.  The  OOPC  was  concerned  with 

ongoing  questions  about  data  availability  in  the  region,  and  urged  that  data  availability 

metrics be made available alongside maps of data collection. 

7.4 Other International Activities 

7.4.1 Tropical Moored Arrays 

Edmo Campos gave a brief presentation on the status of the tropical Atlantic PIRATA 

array, the presentation is available on the meeting website. Brazil services 5 moorings and 3 

island  stations,  while  France  services  the  5  eastern  moorings,  each  of  which  is  visited  once 

per  year.  Brazil  has  proposed  three  additional  moorings  in  the  southwestern  Atlantic. 

Sustained funding for all elements of PIRATA remains a challenge. The OOPC in discussions 

urged  closer  links  between  the  TACE  and  PIRATA  communities,  and  urged  a  review  of 

PIRATA as it approached the end of its pilot phase. It asked the CLIVAR Atlantic Panel to 

take the lead on this issue. 

Ed Harrison gave a brief overview of the status of the TAO array. Data returns from 

the array remain typical, though a problem with salinity sensors has meant that the elements 

of the array have needed servicing every 6 months. Some of the components of the moored 

systems  have  reached  the  end  of  their  service  lifetimes,  and  an  engineering  refresh  will  be 

needed in the near future. A transfer of responsibility for the TAO and PIRATA arrays to the