GLOSS PLAN OF ACTIONS 1997 - 1999 (FOLLOWING ANNEX 4 OF THE REPORT OF THE GE5 MEETING AT JPL MARCH 1997) with comments on progress up to the GE6 meeting May 1999 Actions ------- 1. Presentation of GLOSS GE-5 report and Implementation Plan to IOC Assembly and I-GOOS for approval (Chairman/Secretariat, 1997) Done. 2. Publication of the revised GLOSS Implementation Plan (Secretariat, Oct 1997) Done. Printed version available from IOC or PSMSL. Web version also available. Letter sent (Oct 98) to all Contacts informing them of their obligations under Chapters 12 and 7. 3. Implementation of recommendations from IGS/PSMSL GPS workshop (IGS/PSMSL/ others, 1997) Awaiting items 5 and 6. 4. Publication of GPS Workshop Proceedings (IGS/PSMSL, July 1997) Done by IGS. Printed proceedings report available from IGS or PSMSL. 5. Preparation and publication of "IOC Manual 3 (GPS)" (IGS/PSMSL/IOC, 1998) This depends on the work of the Technical Committee formed by the IGS Workshop. The Committee itself has begun its work, chaired by Mike Bevis (Hawaii), with a first draft version of its report. Contact bevis@soest.hawaii.edu if you would like to see it. 6. Establish Scientific Group for TGBM's and GPS (IAG/IAPSO, 1997 i.e. Le Provost/Blewitt) No special news. Le Provost has expressed continued IAPSO interest in this activity. As of Sept 1998 Blewitt was pessimistic due to overall lack of funding. I suggested they get in direct touch again (geoffrey.blewitt@newcastle.ac.uk and leprovos@pontos.cst.cnes.fr). 7. A further complete set of correspondence to all GLOSS Contacts and a revision of the GLOSS network of tide gauges as an essential preliminary to the production of the next issue of the GLOSS Handbook CD-ROM (PSMSL/BODC/IOC, 1997) Correspondence was sent out by email/fax/letter during July/August 97. Many replies received but by no means all. Slow repliers chased in October 97. 8. Preparation of up-dated GLOSS Handbook CD-ROM as part of WOCE Sea Level Centres CD-ROM (BODC/UHSLC/PSMSL/NODC/IOC,1997-1998) Done by Lesley Rickards. Preliminary version of V4.0 of the Handbook made for the WOCE Sea Level CDROM for the International WOCE Halifax meeting in May 1998 and also on web. Final version on web late 1998. 9. Intersessional GLOSS Data Management Committee set up to facilitate data management and distribution (Chairman/Secretariat,1997) Lesley Rickards (BODC) and Bernie Kilonsky and Pat Caldwell (UH) agreed to serve as the nucleus of this group. A joint report on WOCE/GLOSS data processing standards has been written and added to the GLOSS web pages. More work required on common formats etc. 10. Continued support of PSMSL activities re. GLOSS development (Secretariat, 1997-1999) Support received for 1998. Work Plan to be discussed for 1999. 11. Continued production of the GLOSS Bulletin on the world wide web (POL/NTF) Issue 6 produced October 1998. Issue 7 some time in 1999. The NTF in Australia was interested in editing some issues? 12. Continuation of the Afro-America GLOSS News. USP is further to be asked to investigate a "free" web version of the AAGN (USP) Done. Latest issue of the paper version has been circulated and has also been put on the web (April 98). A new version (Vol.3 (1)?) in pipeline. 13. Organize training courses/workshops including POL course June 1997 for Mediterranean countries (Secretariat/POL). POL 1997 course was held in June 1997 and a workshop report was printed by IOC in January 1998. Copies can be obtained from IOC. University of Cape Town held a course for countries of the region 16-27 November 1998. Also a course is planned for South America in 1999. 14. IOC to keep as far as possible copies of training materials/lectures from courses as a guide to preparation of new courses. Copies should be obtained of materials from all courses in last 4 years (Secretariat) No news. Effort such as this is very dependent on appointment of a full time GLOSS Technical Secretary at IOC. 15. Support where possible of GLOSS regional activities (Secretariat) To be discussed GE6. 16. Assist countries to make proposals for GLOSS and sea-level impacts projects to GEF. Arrange meeting at 1997 Assembly of IOC (Secretariat/Pugh/Mitchell 1997-1998) Bill Mitchell attended the 3rd SPREP Climate Change & Sea Level Rise conference in Noumea, New Caledonia, 18-22 August 1997 and had discussions regarding GEF funding in the South Pacific as discussed at GE5. It is hoped that this will lead to proposals. Janice Trotte has obtained a copy of the GEF/World Bank Caribbean project proposal which must be studied for possible copying elsewhere. 17. Information paper on sea-level measurements in the Arctic Ocean (This is carried over from GE-4) (Bolduc/Zilbershtein/IOC 1998 - see below) Oleg Zilbershtein has agreed to take the editing lead in the production of this report with colleagues from Norway, Finland, Canada, USA, Denmark and Iceland. Hans-Peter Plag from Norway will also be closely involved. George Needler from Canada (needlerg@mar.dfo-mpo.gc.ca) has agreed to be Canadian contact. No news as yet, but obviously relevant to 'Atlantic etc.' workshop alongside GE-6. 18. Resolution of fate of missing 4 gauges delivered to West Africa (Secretariat 1997). Four were to Nigeria (for Escravos), Gambia, Guinea and Cote d'Ivoire. (Original 4 back around 1990 were to Lagos, Tema (Ghana), Dakar (Senegal) and the fourth is lost? Sites were asked for costings in Freetown (Sierra Leone) and Mauritania). At July 1997 IOC Assembly it was reported that Nigeria had just received one of the missing gauges. The delegates of Nigeria and Guinea thanked Sweden and Germany. As of February 1998, NIOMR are in the process of finalising plans with Chevron Oil to install theirs in Escravos; Chevron will build the platform and housing (confirmed during December 1998 Cape Town course). Larry Awosika established that Gambia and Guinea had received gauges, no news from Cote d'Ivoire. Late in 1998 we learned that Gambia will not install theirs until they obtain funds as part of a wider coastal monitoring project. I don't find this acceptable; requesting and receiving the gauge should have been an implicit obligation to install it. On 15 March 1999 we learned that the Cote d'Ivoire gauge will clear customs 'this week' and will be installed at San Pedro (Abe/Souleymane). 19. Investigation of possibility of exchange of data from the ASEAN tide gauge network (Secretariat, 1997) Letters sent to ASEAN people by IOC (Janice Trotte) in November 1997. Only reply received was from Singapore (Wilson Chua) saying we could have access to data at the NTF we have anyway from Raffles Lighthouse. Bill Mitchell was asked if it would be ok if Janice sends out further set of letters saying ok to release data if no reply. Bill advised mid-98 that this would be undiplomatic in Geof Lennon's opinion and that the data are not that good anyway. At GE6 Wolfgang Scherer said that there were still possibilities in this direction following a visit by BAKOSURTANAL people to the NTF. Most ASEAN gauges stopped in 1995 after the end of the ASEAN project. 20. Review designation and activities of Regional GLOSS Coordinators (Chairman/Secretariat,1997) All 'IOC' Regional Cordinators mailed 12 October 1998 to see how they see their roles evolving. 21. Following from previous item, review how best the IOCEA network be coordinated (Chairman,1997) Under review - see item 20. Discussion with ORSTOM etc. re. French-speaking West Africa (October 1998). To be discussed GE6. 22. Investigate multi-national funding for a Technical Consultant for GLOSS (Chairman/Secretariat,1997-1998) After the GE5 meeting it was decided to investigate possible 'pooling' of expertise as per David Smith's (POL) consultancy to Greek tide gauge specialists. At the POL 97 course it became evident that perhaps Morroco might be a possibile country for gauge installation if expert advice available. (Morocco has since decided it cannot afford a gauge after having received the training and absorbed considerable T&S funds) S.Ragoonaden from Mauritius also suggested that any gauge installation be accompanied by a week or so's training for the local people by the visiting technicians. 23. NOAA prioritorisation study of gauges for climate (Scherer/Johnson/ Gornitz, 1997) Report completed by Vivien Gornitz and meeting held in Honolulu. Meeting report prepared by Neville Smith and published by NOAA. 24. Production of an IAPSO/GLOSS tidal constants data set (Le Provost and others, 1997) Le Provost et al. plan a first version of this IAPSO data set by IUGG 1999. Related item - Are MEDS in Canada still responsible to IHO for data banking and distributing tidal constants? See web page of the Hydrographic Office, Taunton and email from Graham Alcock. 25. Short sea-level brochure in cooperation with OOPC for the GCOS Participants Meeting (Secretariat, Jan 1998) No news. Mail from Neville Smith April 1998: "It seems we can put off the end-to-end brochure no longer. So I am going to find some time with Christian while I am here to sketch something out. I will have a look at the GLOSS Brochure as a reference." This should stay on the action list for after GE6. 26. Preparation and printing of a new GLOSS brochure (Chairman/Secretariat,1998) A prototype new GLOSS brochure has been made by Gillian Spencer and Robert Smith and 1000 copies were printed in October 1998. Janice will see if UNESCO can also print copies. This should stay on the action list for after GE6. 27. Joint activities with J-GOOS/OOPC in design/planning and implementation of the sea-level component of the GOOS Climate Module. May include occasional participation at J-GOOS meetings (Chairman,1997-1998) Meeting held in Sydney February 1998 (meeting report available). Another held December 1998 in Paris. 28. Arrange joint publication of a background report with OOPC on scientific rationale for GLOSS (Le Provost,1998) Mail from Neville Smith April 98: "We discussed the joint Background paper at OOPC III. Christian was of the view that it would be more useful at this point if a paper was written, targetted at BAMS or some such journal, that consolidated the progress and conclusions of the GLOSS IP and SL Workshop." 29. Continuation and development of 2 WOCE Sea-Level Centres and Southern Ocean SLC (UHSLC/BODC/NTF,1997-1999) 30. Investigate subsequent experience of trainees at the Dehra Dun training workshop and possible temporary visits at oceanographic laboratories in the region (Shetye,1997) No news. 31. Extend Pilot Phase of Indian Ocean CMAS to other countries (Shetye/ Secretariat,1997-1999) Satish Shetye reports that CMAS work in India is progressing well. Not much news from other countries. He has written to countries of the region to see how project should evolve. IOCINDIO Indian Ocean proposal also from Krishnamurthy at DoD, India. Older IOCINCWIO proposal (by Odido?) also exists. These should all be merged - see items 36 and 37. Related item is that WIOMAP (the association of western Indian Ocean states) had several conferences 1998 in which sea level changes was included. Ragoonaden (Mauritius) represented GLOSS at these meetings. 32. Resolution of the EuroGLOSS/EPTN/MedGLOSS/EOSS overlap of projects (Boucher, 1997) A meeting was held at IGN in Paris late 97 between the parties concerned which it is believed has resolved this issue. EOSS Management Meetings and 'Work Package' meetings have been held regularly since so links between GLOSS and EOSS should be good in future. 33. Arrangements for next full meeting: GLOSS-VI Session and interim meeting as required (Chairman/Secretariat, early 1999, interim meeting late 1997/1998) 'Mini-GLOSS meeting' held Taiwan in July 1998. Arrangements for GE-6 made. Other Actions Added Subsequently: 34. Installation of gauge at Quinhon, Vietnam by Indian Experts Vietnam had mentioned at IOC Assembly in July 97 the non-delivery of Indian tide gauge. We subsequently learned that contact had reached good level with DOD in Delhi and installation would happen soon. Gauge was installed Feb 98 but malfunctioned for some reason, and has been shipped back to India for repair. Re-installation was expected in '3 months or so' from April 98 but the same situation pertains as of February 1999. Meanwhile POL has agreed to provide a gauge at Hon Gai near the Red River delta. Bill Mitchell has mentioned that ASEAN-related developments may lead to a number of gauges being installed in Vietnam through the ASEAN-Australia Cooperation Development Programme (AACDP). A delegation of Vietnamese specialists visited POL at the end of April 98 and proposals for a POL bubbler in Northern Viet Nam were discussed and suggestions for others. At GE6 Dr.Somasundar reported that India will this year run two training courses for people from Viet Nam and Myanmar at Dehra Dun with lecturers from the NIO. 35. Merger of MedGLOSS and BlackGLOSS activities No news since April 1998. Dov Rosen agreed June 1997 to contact Prof.Metrevelli to coordinate things. Metrevelli has asked for IOC/GLOSS funds for Black Sea gauges. Rosen and Woodworth have attached their names to an INTAS proposal for BlackGLOSS led by the Ukraine. 36. Proposal for an IOCINDIO-proposed Indian Ocean network, document entitled "Indian Ocean Sea-Level Observing Network (IOSLON)", edited by DOD, following IOCINDIO meeting in Goa during November 1996. Several letters have been exchanged with former-DOD Director, Dr.B.N.Krishnamurthy, expressing great interest and encouragement. There is obvious overlap with the next item. 37. Proposal for IOCINCWIO-proposed Indian Ocean network and related activities following fourth session of IOCINCWIO in Mombasa, 6-10 May, 1997. Mika Odido to take the lead. Proposal (paras 109-114 of meeting report) includes gauges, maintenance, technicians, reviews of present network, bibliography etc. Odido sent email to me on 4 October 1997 providing updated project description. 38. At IOC Assembly delegate of Iran proposed regional GLOSS network in the Gulf and Gulf of Oman. GE invited to discuss. 39. Scientific Working Group for Sea Level following the Hawaii meeting to be co-sponsored by GLOSS/IOC, CLIVAR UOP and OOPC. Neville Smith and Philip Woodworth agreed October 97 form of words sent to IOC for reaction. Discussed at Sydney GOOS meeting. Will be affected by general GOOS organisational structure. To be discussed GE6. 40. Proposal by C.K.Shum for a China Seas tide gauge, GPS and altimetry programme. APSG sea levels and GPS etc. discussed at Taiwan meeting. Letter of support written by me to C.K. on behalf of GLOSS. 41. Comparative study of new acoustic gauges (Sonar Research type) and stilling wells. Begonha Perez (Spain) and Howard Waldron (South Africa) interested in a comparative study. No news. This should stay on the action list for after GE6. 42. GLOSS Contacts not on email. Letters have been written to all Contacts not on email asking that they get online (May 1998 and January 1999). 43. Distribution of offered 4 Ott R20 gauges from Singapore. Captain Chua has sent gauges to POL for checking as of February 1999. To be checked at POL and sent to African countries to be decided. (Costs by POL). Possible enhancements using shaft encoders? 44. Appeals for Sponsorship These have taken the form of appeals for either hardware or hardware and studentships. Email sent to Bob Watson (Chairman IPCC) at World Bank 6 Oct 1998; a polite reply but no result. Letters written (Dec 98/Jan 99) to BP, Shell, Chevron, Ott, Munro, Sutron, WS Oceans, Valeport, Paroscientific, British Airways and Universal Studios/Kevin Costner (for 'Waterworld'). Chris Neary at NERC/Swindon has tried this route for NERC in general to be approached; David Pugh knows some people at Lloyds Register of Shipping.