http://www.gosud.org

What is...

The main objective of GOSUD (Global Ocean Surface Underway Data Pilot Project) is to collect, process, archive and disseminate in real time and delayed mode, sea surface salinity and other variables collected underway, by research and opportunity ships.

The Ocean Observations Panel for Climate, OOPC, and its predecessors examined the usefulness of surface salinity data in the context of climate change detection. They state that "At high latitude, sea surface salinity is known to be critical for decadal and longer time scale variations associated with deep ocean over turning and the hydrological cycle. In the tropics, and in particular in the western Pacific, and Indonesian Seas, and in upwelling zones salinity is also believed to be important." They quote the benchmark sampling strategy to be one sample per 200 km square every 10 days and with an accuracy of 0.1 PSU. They also state that the tropical western Pacific and Indian Oceans and high latitudes should receive the highest priority.

CLIVAR planners have stated what they think are the attributes of a successful data and information management system. In the Proceedings of the International CLIVAR Conference held in Paris in 1998, one attendee states that the following points are likely to be prominent.

• Swift assembly and distribution of data, ready availability and free access.
• Data sets and products are comprehensive in terms of the variables
• Encourage exploration of historical and paleo data sets.
• Encourage processing methods that eliminate or minimize the production of spurious signals.
• Ensure that adequate and timely data are available for the initialization and validation of climate forecast systems.
• Maximize the utility of the sustained observing system for various process or intensive studies.
• Work with GOOS/GCOS, World Weather Watch and Global Atmosphere Watch in development and implementation of the strategy.

GOSUD was established as an IODE Project at IODE-XVI through Recommendation IODE-XVI/10 as the "Underway Sea Surface Salinity Data Archiving Project". In addition the JCOMM-1 meeting supported such a project urging that integration with other data collected at the same time be properly considered.

Data

Gosud data are available from GDACs (Global Data Assembly Centers). More information is available from the GOSUD GDAC page.

GOSUD is seeking new data providers. Please contact the Co-Chairs for more information.

Products

Project Management

The GOSUD project is managed by the Steering Group for GOSUD (SG-GOSUD).

The two Co-Chairs are Mr Robert Keeley (Canada) and Mr Loic Petit de la Villeon (France) (since IODE-XIX, March 2007)

Project Documentation and Meeting reports

Joint Workshops GOSUD/SAMOS

	First Joint GOSUD/SAMOS Workshop (2-4 May 2006, Boulder, Colorado, USA)
	Second Joint GOSUD/SAMOS Workshop (10-12 June 2008, Seattle, Washington, USA)

Sessions of the SG-GOSUD

	IODE Steering Group for Underway Sea Surface Salinity Data Pilot Project, First Session, Brest, France, 15-16 November 2001 (IOC/IODE-SG-USSSAL-I) (20/01/01)
	IODE Steering Group for Global Ocean Surface Underway Data Pilot Project (SG-GOSUD), Second Session, Ottawa, Canada, 16-17 September 2002 (IOC/IODE-SG-GOSUD-II) (18/09/02)
	IODE Steering Group for Global Ocean Surface Underway Data Pilot Project (SG-GOSUD), Third Session, Monterey, USA, 3-4 November 2003 (IOC/IODE-SG-GOSUD-III) (07/11/03)
	GOSUD Report from Southampton, 23-24 September, 2004 (Fourth Session of the SG-GOSUD - informal report)

Annual Reports

	GOSUD Annual Report 2003
	GOSUD Annual Report 2004
	GOSUD Annual Report 2005-2006
	GOSUD Annual Report 2007