Coriolis a French project for operational oceanography

C Coatanoan, T Carval, L Petit de la Villéon, E Autret
Ifremer, Brest
Y Gouriou IRD, L Gourmelen SHOM

The seven French agencies concerned by ocean research are developing together a strong capability in operational oceanography based on a triad including satellite altimetry (JASON), numerical modelling with assimilation (MERCATOR), and in-situ data (CORIOLIS).

The CORIOLIS project aims to build a pre-operational structure to collect, validate and distribute ocean data (temperature/salinity profiles and currents) to the scientific community and modellers.
CORIOLIS aims at four goals:
• To build up a data management centre, part of the ARGO network for the GODAE
experiment, able to provide quality-controlled data in real time and delay modes.
• To contribute to ARGO floats deployment mainly in the Atlantic with about 300 floats
during the 2001-2005 period.
• To develop and improve profiling Provor float as a contribution to Argo.
• To integrate into CORIOLIS other data presently collected at sea by French
agencies from surface drifting buoys, PIRATA anchored buoys, oceanographic
research vessels (XBT, thermosalinograph and ADCP transmitted on a daily basis).

In 2005, recommendations will be done to transform the CORIOLIS activity into a permanent, routinely contribution to ocean measurement, in accordance with international plans that will follow the ARGO/GODAE experiment