Undersea weather forecasting system for which satellite data have been assimilated
Organizations: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)
A system has been developed for issuing undersea weather forecasts around Japan through the integration of sea surface water temperature data obtained by multiple JAXA satellites with a high-temporal-and-spatial-resolution (intervals of approximately three kilometers and hourly) regional ocean model developed by JAMSTEC for the area around Japan. Ocean conditions are forecasted for approximately the next 10 days and routinely disclosed to the public via the website. The provision of data sets that are complete and that include the ocean interior will contribute to such fields as fisheries, transportation, and the monitoring of ocean conditions.
The left side shows observations made by the Himawari
satellite while the right side shows ocean model outputs
at the same time to enable comparisons and
future predictions to be seen
(07:00, September 6, 2020, Japan time in this case).
A vertical profile extending from the surface of the sea
to a depth of 500 meters as well as latitudinal
and longitudinal cross-sections can be displayed
(07:00, September 6, 2020, Japan time in this case).
(JAXA Earth Observation Research Center, https://www.eorc.jaxa.jp/ptree/ocean_model/index.html)
Kuroshio/Oyashio Watch, an initiative for forecasting ocean conditions along the coast of Japan
Organization: Application Laboratory, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)
The JAMSTEC Application Laboratory has developed an ocean change forecasting system to deepen our understanding of changes in the Kuroshio and Oyashio Currents and predict ocean conditions in the coastal areas of Japan (Japan Coastal Ocean Predictability Experiment: JCOPE). Kuroshio/Oyashio Watch is a website that provides easily understandable explanations of forecast results for the Kuroshio and Oyashio Currents, based on JCOPE, as well as of various related issues. Short-term Kuroshio predictions of ocean currents and the distribution of seawater temperatures up to ten days in advance are updated once a week.
http://www.jamstec.go.jp/aplinfo/kowatch/）
Arrows indicate the flow of water near the surface,
colors correspond to the temperature of the surface (centigrade),
and the bold black lines constitute contour lines
where the daily mean sea surface water level is
at 0.3 meters and are an indicator of
the axial flow of the Kuroshio Current.