Evaluation of Ocean Syntheses: a new COST Action to Improve our Knowledge about Ocean Syntheses, from the Global to the Regional Scales

Ocean syntheses are comprehensive estimations of the ocean state over the last decades (mainly temperature, salinity, sea level and currents) calculated by merging hydrodynamic ocean models and all available observations using data assimilation. Ocean syntheses are used as initial conditions for operational estimations of the ocean state, for short-term predictions aiming at studying specific processes, for seasonal and decadal predictions, and for climate-related activities. The COST Action “Evaluation of Ocean Syntheses” (EOS, 2014-2018) aims to improve the coordination of the European efforts in the evaluation of ocean syntheses, to optimize their use and value, to ease their access, to promote their improvement and to raise confidence in their quality. This will be achieved through networking activities such as specific meetings and conferences, workshops, training schools and scientific exchanges.

One of the objectives of EOS is to assess the quality of regional ocean syntheses, and studying the impact of using higher resolution on the quality of the regional ocean syntheses. A series of evaluation metrics and standards will be developed within EOS which should address the added value of regional reanalyses (due to their higher resolution, improved physics and specific parametrization). The EOS COST Action (http://eos-cost.eu/) will be presented, with a focus on the regional ocean synthesis work being realised.