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The ability to quantify the relationship between the ocean and the atmosphere is an enduring challenge for global-scale science. This paper analyzes the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE, 1990–2002), an international oceanographic program that aimed to provide data for decadal-scale climate modeling and for the first time produce a “snapshot” of ocean circulation against which future change could be measured. WOCE was an ambitious project that drew on extensive international collaboration and emerging technologies that continue to play a significant role in how the global environment is known and governed. However, a main outcome of WOCE was an encounter with ocean variability: the notion that the ocean is governed not by the circular currents shown in the popular “conveyor-belt” diagram but by eddies, filaments, jets, and other nonlinear forces. This paper suggests the concept of “productive limits” as an analytic for understanding how ocean variability both prompted new forms of knowledge and the development of a global knowledge infrastructure that is contingent, uneven, and fully entwined with geopolitical dynamics.

Because geoscientific research often occurs via community-instigated bursts of activity with multi-investigator collaborations variously labelled as e.g., years (The International Polar Year IPY), experiments (World Ocean Circulation Experiment WOCE), programs (International Ocean Discovery Program), missions (CRYOSAT spacecraft), or decades (The International Decade of Ocean Exploration IDOE), successful attainment of research goals generally requires skilful scientific project management.In addition to the usual challenges of matching scientific ambitions to limited resources, on-going coordination and specifically project management, planning and implementation of polar science projects often involve many uncertainties caused by, for example, unpredictable weather or ocean and sea ice conditions, large-scale logistical juggling; and often these collaborations are spatially distributed and take place virtually. Large amounts of funding are needed to procure the considerable infrastructure and technical equipment required for polar expeditions; permissions to enter certain regions must be requested; and potential risks for expedition members as well as technical issues in extreme environments need to be considered. All these aspects are challenging for polar science projects, which therefore need a well thought-through program including a realistic alternative “plan B” and possibly also a “plan C” and “plan D”. The four most challenging overarching themes in polar science project management have been identified: international cooperation, interdisciplinarity, infrastructure, and community management. In this paper, we address ongoing challenges and opportunities in polar science project management based on a survey among 199project and community managers and an additional of 85 project team members active in the field of polar sciences. Case studies and survey results are discussed with the conclusive goal to provide recommendations on how to fully reach the potential of polar sciences project and community management.

An intercomparison study has been carried out on the analysis of inorganic nutrients at sea following the operation of two nutrient analysers simultaneously on the GO-SHIP A02 trans-Atlantic survey in May 2017. Both instruments were Skalar San++ Continuous Flow Analyzers, one from the Marine Institute, Ireland and the other from Dalhousie University, Canada, each operated by their own laboratory analysts following GO-SHIP guidelines while adopting their existing laboratory methods. There was high comparability between the two data sets and vertical profiles of nutrients also compared well with those collected in 1997 along the same A02 transect by the World Ocean Circulation Experiment. The largest differences between data sets were observed in the low-nutrient surface waters and results highlight the value of using three reference materials (low, middle and high concentration) to cover the full range of expected nutrients and identify bias and non-linearity in the calibrations. The intercomparison also raised some interesting questions on the comparison of nutrients analysed by different systems and a number of recommendations have been suggested that we feel will enhance the existing GO-SHIP guidelines to improve the comparability of global nutrient data sets. A key recommendation is for the specification of clearly defined data quality objectives for oceanic nutrient measurements and a flagging method for reported data that do not meet these criteria. The A02 nutrient data set is currently available at the National Oceanographic Data Centre of Ireland: https://doi.org/10.20393/CE49BC4C-91CC-41B9-A07F-D4E36B18B26F and https://doi.org/10.20393/EAD02A1F-AAB3-4F4E-AD60-6289B9585531.

In the past two decades, the Argo Program has collected, processed, and distributed over two million vertical profiles of temperature and salinity from the upper two kilometers of the global ocean. A similar number of subsurface velocity observations near 1,000 dbar have also been collected. This paper recounts the history of the global Argo Program, from its aspiration arising out of the World Ocean Circulation Experiment, to the development and implementation of its instrumentation and telecommunication systems, and the various technical problems encountered. We describe the Argo data system and its quality control procedures, and the gradual changes in the vertical resolution and spatial coverage of Argo data from 1999 to 2019. The accuracies of the float data have been assessed by comparison with high-quality shipboard measurements, and are concluded to be 0.002 degrees C for temperature, 2.4 dbar for pressure, and 0.01 PSS-78 for salinity, after delayed-mode adjustments. Finally, the challenges faced by the vision of an expanding Argo Program beyond 2020 are discussed.

The paper describes the new gridded World Ocean Circulation Experiment-Argo Global Hydrographic Climatology (WAGHC). The climatology has a 1∕4∘ spatial resolution resolving the annual cycle of temperature and salinity on a monthly basis. Two versions of the climatology were produced and differ with respect to whether the spatial interpolation was performed on isobaric or isopycnal surfaces, respectively. The WAGHC climatology is based on the quality controlled temperature and salinity profiles obtained before January 2016, and the average climatological year is in the range from 2008 to 2012. To avoid biases due to the significant step-like decrease of the data below 2 km, the profile extrapolation procedure is implemented. We compare the WAGHC climatology to the 1∕4∘ resolution isobarically averaged WOA13 climatology, produced by the NOAA Ocean Climate Laboratory (Locarnini et al., 2013) and diagnose a generally good agreement between these two gridded products. The differences between the two climatologies are basically attributed to the interpolation method and the considerably extended data basis. Specifically, the WAGHC climatology improved the representation of the thermohaline structure, in both the data poor polar regions and several data abundant regions like the Baltic Sea, the Caspian sea, the Gulf of California, the Caribbean Sea, and the Weddell Sea. Further, the dependence of the ocean heat content anomaly (OHCA) time series on the baseline climatology was tested. Since the 1950s, both of the baseline climatologies produce almost identical OHCA time series. The gridded dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.1594/WDCC/WAGHC_V1.0 (Gouretski, 2018).

A new method is developed to identify the mixed layer depth (MLD) from individual temperature or density profiles. A relative variance profile is obtained that is the ratio between the standard deviation and the maximum variation of the temperature (density) from the sea surface, and the depth of the minimum relative variance is defined as the MLD. The new method is robust in finding the MLD under the influence of random noise (noise level ≤ 5%). A comparison with other available methods, which include the threshold (difference, difference interpolation, gradient, and hybrid methods) and objective (curvature and maximum angle methods) methods, is carried out using the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) data. It is found that for a variety of depth sampling resolutions ranging from 0.04 to 25 dbar, the new method and the difference-interpolation method predict MLD values that are closer to the visually inspected ones than those by other methods. Moreover, the quality index (QI) of the MLD that is determined by the new method is the highest when compared with those of the available methods. Also, the application of the new method on the WOCE global dataset yields 94% of MLD values with , substantially higher than those (≤86%) of other methods. Ultimately, it is found that the new method determines very similar MLD values when applied to temperature or density profiles globally because it identifies the base of the mixed layer rather than the uppermost depth of the thermocline. This unique advantage makes the new method applicable in many cases, especially when the density profile is unavailable.

An update on the Eastern South Pacific Intermediate Water (ESPIW) distribution has been possible based on ARGO (Array for Real-Time Geostrophic Oceanography) data. This study comprised over 46,000 profiles obtained during 2007-2012 from an area between the western coast of South America and 150°W, and 5° and 40°S. This information was complemented with data from the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) P06 transects conducted in 1992 and 2010 at 32°30’S in the South Pacific Ocean. Based on a comparison of this update and data from 1990-2001, it was established that the ESPIW volume has increased by approximately 53%. Moreover, the area occupied by ESPIW in the 2010 WOCE P06 transect was 48% higher than in 1992. Ekman pumping velocity, calculated from the wind for the time and region of ESPIW formation, showed a significant increase in Ekman pumping between 2000 and 2012. The increase in Ekman pumping from 2000 onward could explain the observed changes in ESPIW distribution (the water mass had extended zonally) and properties (salinity showed a decrease of 0.1). These changes could be explained as the consequence of atmospheric climate variability over the interior ocean.

To investigate the controls on N2 fixation and the role of the Atlantic in the global ocean's fixed nitrogen (N) budget, Atlantic N2 fixation is calculated by combining meridional nitrate fluxes across World Ocean Circulation Experiment sections with observed nitrate 15N/14N differences between northward and southward transported nitrate. N2 fixation inputs of 27.1 ± 4.3 Tg N/yr and 3.0 ± 0.5 Tg N/yr are estimated north of 11°S and 24°N, respectively. That is, ~90% of the N2 fixation in the Atlantic north of 11°S occurs south of 24°N in a region with upwelling that imports phosphorus (P) in excess of N relative to phytoplankton requirements. This suggests that, under the modern iron-rich conditions of the equatorial and North Atlantic, N2 fixation occurs predominantly in response to P-bearing, N-poor conditions. We estimate a N2 fixation rate of 30.5 ± 4.9 Tg N/yr north of 30°S, implying only 3 Tg N/yr between 30° and 11°S, despite evidence of P-bearing, N-poor surface waters in this region as well; this is consistent with iron limitation of N2 fixation in the South Atlantic. Since the ocean flows through the Atlantic surface in

Basin-scale freshening of Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) is reported to have occurred in the South Atlantic Ocean during the period from 2005 to 2014, as shown by the gridded monthly means of the Array for Real-time Geostrophic Oceanography (Argo) data. This phenomenon was also revealed by two repeated transects along a section at 30° S, performed during the World Ocean Circulation Experiment Hydrographic Program. Freshening of the AAIW was compensated for by a salinity increase of thermocline water, indicating a hydrological cycle intensification. This was supported by the precipitation-minus-evaporation change in the Southern Hemisphere from 2000 to 2014. Freshwater input from atmosphere to ocean surface increased in the subpolar high-precipitation region and vice versa in the subtropical high-evaporation region. Against the background of hydrological cycle changes, a decrease in the transport of Agulhas Leakage (AL), which was revealed by the simulated velocity field, was proposed to be a contributor to the associated freshening of AAIW. Further calculation showed that such a decrease could account for approximately 53 % of the observed freshening (mean salinity reduction of about 0.012 over the AAIW layer). The estimated variability of AL was inferred from a weakening of wind stress over the South Indian Ocean since the beginning of the 2000s, which would facilitate freshwater input from the source region. The mechanical analysis of wind data here was qualitative, but it is contended that this study would be helpful to validate and test predictably coupled sea–air model simulations.

The distribution and quantification of the source waters of the North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) and the Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) in the Atlantic Ocean were investigated using 40 years of climatology data (1973–2014) constructed from the dataset available in the 2013 World Ocean Database. The quasi-interdecadal variability of NADW and AABW source waters spanned the late 1980s until early 2010 in the analysis of three World Ocean Circulation Experiment sections (WOCE A05, A10 and A16). The study was performed by applying optimum multiparameter analysis to quantify the mixture of six NADW and AABW source waters (four for NADW and two for AABW). The NADW source waters decrease their contributions from north to south, except for the region between 30°S and 45°S where the Labrador Sea Water (LSW) contribution suggests an upper NADW deepening. In addition, Iceland-Scotland Overflow Water (ISOW) and LSW contribute to the southernmost boundary of NADW in the Southern Ocean. The AABW source waters were observed as far as 45°N with a 15% contribution, with significant recirculation in equatorial regions and higher contributions in Argentine and Brazil basins. The Denmark Strait Overflow Water (DSOW) and ISOW showed the highest temporal variability (±20%) not only near their formation region but also in the South Atlantic. The AABW source waters did not present high temporal variability, although temporal changes were found near their formation region. Based on their spatial distribution, the Argentine and Brazil basins were noted as the main locations to use for investigating this issue. The results provide new insights into the mixing inside the deep Atlantic Ocean and the global circulation cell; the results also specify the source water masses that present higher temporal variability and the suitable locations to observe these changes.

The anthropogenic CO2 accumulation rate for the Pacific Ocean was estimated from the decrease in δ13C of the dissolved inorganic carbon measured on six World Ocean Circulation Experiment cruises during the 1990s and repeated during Climate Variability and Predictability in the 2000s. A mean depth-integrated anthropogenic δ13C change of −83 ± 20‰ m decade−1 was estimated for the basin by using the multiple linear regression approach. The largest anthropogenic δ13C decreases occurred between 40°S and 60°S, whereas the smallest decreases occurred in the Southern Ocean and subpolar North Pacific. A mean anthropogenic CO2 accumulation rate of 0.41 ± 0.13 mol C m−2 yr−1 (0.82 ± 0.26 Pg C yr−1) was determined based on observed δ13C changes and is in agreement with previous observation- and model-based estimates. The mean dissolved inorganic carbon DIC13 inventory change of −178 ± 43‰ mol m−2 decade−1 was primarily the result of air-sea CO2 exchange acting on the measured air-sea δ13C disequilibrium of ~ −1.2 ± 0.1‰. Regional differences between the DIC13 inventory change and air-sea 13CO2 flux yielded net anthropogenic CO2 uptake rates (independent of ΔpCO2) that ranged from ~0 to 1 mol m−2 yr−1 and basin-wide mean of 1.2 ± 1.5 Pg C yr−1. High rates of surface ocean DIC increase and δ13C decrease observed in the Drake Passage (53°S–60°S) support above average anthropogenic CO2 accumulation since 2005. Observed δ13C changes in the Pacific Ocean indicate that ocean transport significantly impacted the anthropogenic CO2 distribution and illustrate the utility of δ13C as a tracer to unravel the processes controlling the present and future accumulation of anthropogenic CO2 in the ocean.

In 1999, the consortium on Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean (ECCO) set out to synthesize the hydrographic data collected by the World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) and the satellite sea surface height measurements into a complete and coherent description of the ocean, afforded by an ocean general circulation model. Twenty years later, the versatility of ECCO's estimation framework enables the production of global and regional ocean and sea-ice state estimates, that incorporate not only the initial suite of data and its successors, but nearly all data streams available today. New observations include measurements from Argo floats, marine mammal-based hydrography, satellite retrievals of ocean bottom pressure and sea surface salinity, as well as ice-tethered profiled data in polar regions. The framework also produces improved estimates of uncertain inputs, including initial conditions, surface atmospheric state variables, and mixing parameters. The freely available state estimates and related efforts are property-conserving, allowing closed budget calculations that are a requisite to detect, quantify, and understand the evolution of climate-relevant signals, as mandated by the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) protocol. The solutions can be reproduced by users through provision of the underlying modeling and assimilation machinery. Regional efforts have spun off that offer increased spatial resolution to better resolve relevant processes. Emerging foci of ECCO are on a global sea level changes, in particular contributions from polar ice sheets, and the increased use of biogeochemical and ecosystem data to constrain global cycles of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen. Challenges in the coming decade include provision of uncertainties, informing observing system design, globally increased resolution, and moving toward a coupled Earth system estimation with consistent momentum, heat and freshwater fluxes between the ocean, atmosphere, cryosphere and land.