Ocean Science and Ocean Safety

Dr David Griffin

CSIRO

Ocean Science and Ocean Safety – David Griffin

Ocean variables and marine safety

• waves– broaching

• currents– navigation of passages– trip duration, man o/b - stricken vessel drift– wave steepening

• temperature– hypothermia– tropical cyclones

• sealevel– under-keel clearance

Ocean Science and Ocean Safety – David Griffin

Information that’s been available for some time

• waves– BoM predictions– climatology

• currents– climatology

• temperature– satellite images– climatology

• sealevel– tidal and storm surge predictions

Ocean Science and Ocean Safety – David Griffin

What’s recent

• waves– greater accuracy– better delivery

• currents– daily-updated maps of major features

• temperature– publicly available satellite imagery

Ocean Science and Ocean Safety – David Griffin

Ocean Science and Ocean Safety – David Griffin

Ocean Science and Ocean Safety – David Griffin

Ocean Science and Ocean Safety – David Griffin

Ocean Science and Ocean Safety – David Griffin

Ocean Science and Ocean Safety – David Griffin

Ocean Science and Ocean Safety – David Griffin

What’s coming

• waves– greater accuracy

• currents– forecasts (both tidal and non-tidal)

• temperature– forecasts

• sea level– forecasts

Ocean Science and Ocean Safety – David Griffin

Conclusions

• CSIRO is working with BoM and RAN to implement an ocean forecasting system for Australia

• one of the many reasons for doing this is to increase safety at sea

• another is to increase the efficiency of the maritime industry while improving environmental protection

• Example: min UKC at Hay Pt: 300mm->100mm?

Ocean Science and Ocean Safety – David Griffin

Thank you

• www.marine.csiro.au/remotesensing/oceancurrents