Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Review Article
  • Published:

The World Ocean Circulation Experiment

Nature volume 314, pages 501–511 (1985)Cite this article

Abstract

The international oceanographic community is preparing for an ambitious five-year experiment. Starting in 1990, it will provide the first comprehensive global survey of physical properties of the oceans. The resulting data set will be used to test computer models of the ocean circulation needed for predicting decadal climate change. The results will also benefit research in marine chemistry, biology and geology. This review looks at the climatalogicalproblems that motivated the project and discusses new observing techniques, from space and in situ, which make it timely to embark on this major step in physical exploration of the ocean.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. GARP Joint Planning Staff The Global Weather Experiment (World Meteorological Organization, Geneva, 1981).

  2. Schlee, S. The Edge of an Unfamiliar World: a History of Oceanography (Dutton, New York, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Woods, J. D. in The Global Climate (ed. Houghton, J.) 141–187 (Cambridge University Press, 1984).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Oort, A. H. & Vonder Haar, T. H. J. Phys. Oceanogr. 6, 781–800 (1976).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Burridge, D. M. in The Cage Report (WCP-22, WNO, Geneva, 1982).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Campbell, G. C. thesis, Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins (1981).

  7. Swinbank, R. Met 0 20 Technical Note II/213 (Meteorological Office, Bracknell 1983).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Stommel, H. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 77, 2377–2380 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Bryden, M. L. in Time Series of Ocean Measurements (ed. Ellett, D.) (WCP Rep. No. 21, World Meteorological Organization, Geneva, 1982).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Bunker, A. F., Charnock, H. & Goldsmith, R. A. J. mar. Res. 40 (Suppl.), 73–84 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Dobson, F. E. et al. WCP Rep. Ser. No. 2 (World Meterological Organization, Geneva, 1981).

  12. Namias, J. & Cayan, D. R. Science 214, 869–976 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Niiler, P. P. in WCRP Pub. Ser. 1, 473–485 (1982).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Dalmas, R. J., Ascencio, J. M. & Legrand, M. Nature 284, 155–157 (1980).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. Ramathan, V. J. atmos. Sci. 38, 918–930 (1981).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. Bryan, K., Komro, F. G., Manabe, S. & Spelman, M. J. Science 215, 56–58 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Woods, J. D. in Coupled Atmosphere-Ocean Models (ed. Nihoul, J. C. J.) Ch. 34 (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1985).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Bretherton, F. P. Prog. Oceanogr. 11, 93–129 (1982).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. Nihoul, J. C. J. (ed.) Coupled Atmosphere-Ocean Models (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1985).

  20. Bryan, K. & Lewis, L. J. J. geophys. Res. 34, 2503–2517 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. Bryan, K. A. Rev. Earth planet. Sci. 10, 15–38 (1982).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. Stommel, H. & Fieux, M. Oceanogr. Atlases (Falmouth, Massachusetts, 1980).

  23. Cox, M. D. & Bryan, K. J. phys. Oceanogr. 14, 674–687 (1984).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. Sarmiento, G. J. phys. Oceanogr. 13, 1924–1939 (1983).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. Holland, W. R., Harrison, D. E. & Semtner, A. J. in Eddies in Marine Science (ed. Robinson, A. R.) 379–403 (Springer, Berlin 1983).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  26. Woods, J. D. J. Fluid Mech. 32, 791–800 (1968).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  27. Schmitt, R. J. phys. Oceanogr. 11, 1015–1026 (1981).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  28. Turner, J. S. in Evolution of Physical Oceanography (eds Warren, B. & C. Wunsch) 236–263 (MIT Press, Cambridge, 1981).

    Google Scholar 

  29. Olbers, D. Rev. Geophys. Space Phys. 21, 1567–1606 (1983).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  30. Rhines, P. & Holland, W. R. Dyn. Atmos. Oceans 3, 289–326 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  31. Rooth, C. & Östlund, G. Deep-Sea Res. 19, 481–492 (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  32. Redi, M. H. J. phys. Oceanogr. 12, 1154–1158 (1982).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  33. Bleck, R. & Boudra, D. B. J. phys. Oceanogr. 11, 755–770 (1981).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  34. Holland, W. R., Keffer, T. & Rhines, P. B. Nature 308, 698–705 (1984).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  35. Hoskins, B., McIntyre, M. & Robertson Q. Jl R. met. Soc. (submitted).

  36. Woods, J. D. WCRP Publ. Ser. 1, 147–179 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  37. Kraus, E. B. (ed.) Modelling and Prediction of the Upper Layers of the Ocean (Pergamon, Oxford, 1977).

  38. Hydrographer of the Navy Bathymetry of the Northeast Atlantic (Taunton, 1975–83).

  39. General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans 5th edn (UNESCO, Paris, 1977–82).

  40. Dixon, T. H., Narachi, M. & McNutt, M. K. J. geophys. Res. 88, 1563–1571 (1983).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  41. White, J. V., Sailor, R. V., Lazarewicz, A. R. & LeSchack, A. R. J. geophys. Res. 88, 1541–1551 (1983).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  42. Worthington, L. V. in Evolution of Physical Oceanography (eds Warren, B. & Wunsch, C.) 42–69 (MIT Press, Cambridge, 1981).

    Google Scholar 

  43. Robinson, A. R. et al. Nature 309, 781–783 (1984).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  44. Levitus, S. Climatological Atlas of the World Ocean (NOAA Prof. Pap. No. 13, U.S. Department of Commerce, Rockville, 1982).

    Google Scholar 

  45. Marshall, J. C. Ocean Modelling 57, 7–11 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  46. The Ocean Tomography Group Nature 299, 121–125 (1982).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  47. Charnock, H. & Pollard, R. T. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A308, 221–449 (1983).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  48. Mintz, Y. in Precipitation Measurements from Space (eds Atlas, D. & Thiele, O. W.) (NASA Goddard Laboratory, 1981).

    Google Scholar 

  49. Baumgartner, A. & Reichel, E. The World Water Balance (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1975).

    Google Scholar 

  50. Sarkisyan, A. in The Sea Vol. 6 (eds Goldberg, E. D., McCave, I. N., O'Brien, J. J. & Steele, J. H.) 363–458 (Wiley, New York, 1977).

    Google Scholar 

  51. Wunsch, C. in The Global Climate (ed. Houghton, J. T.) 189 (Cambridge University Press, 1984).

    Google Scholar 

  52. Wüst, G. “Meteor” Report VI (1) (English edn by Emery, W. J., 1978) (National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C., 1935).

    Google Scholar 

  53. Robinson, A. R. (ed.) Eddies in Marine Science (Springer, Berlin, 1983).

    Google Scholar 

  54. Wyrtki, K., McLain, D. & Patzert, W. Variability of the Thermal Structure in the Central Equatorial Pacific Ocean (Hawaii Institute of Geophysics Rep. HIG-77-1, Honolulu, 1977).

    Google Scholar 

  55. Gill, A. E. (ed.) Toga (WCP Rep., World Meteorological Organization, Geneva, 1983).

  56. Ellett, D. J. (ed.) Time Series of Ocean measurements (WCP-21, World Meteorological Organization, Geneva, 1982).

  57. McNally, G. J. J. geophys. Res. 86, 8022–8030 (1981).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  58. Rossby, H. T., Riser, S. C. & Mariano, A. J. in Eddies in Marine Science (ed. Robinson, A.) 66–91 (Springer, Berlin, 1983).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  59. Cartwright, D. E. Proc. 9th int. Symp. Earth Tides, New York (Springer, Berlin, 1983).

    Google Scholar 

  60. Richardson, P. L. J. geophys. Res. 88, 4355–4367 (1983).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  61. Haidvogel, D., Robinson, A. R. & Rooth, C. in Eddies in Marine Science (ed. Robinson, A.) 481–491 (Springer, Berlin, 1983).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  62. Jenkins, W. J. J. mar. Res. (Suppl.) 40, 265–290 (1982).

    Google Scholar 

  63. McCartney, M. S. J. mar. Res. (Suppl.) 40, 427–464 (1982).

    Google Scholar 

  64. Broecker, W. in Evolution of Physical Oceanography (eds Warren, B. & Wunsch, C.) 434–460 (MIT Press, Cambridge, 1981).

    Google Scholar 

  65. Roether, W. WCRP Publ. Ser. 1, 459–471 (WMO, Geneva, 1983).

    Google Scholar 

  66. Worthington, L. V. On the North Atlantic Circulation Ch. 13 (Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 1976).

    Google Scholar 

  67. Kirwan, A. D., Ahrens, T. J. & Born, G. H. J. geophys. Res. 88, 1529–1952 (1983).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  68. Woods, J. D. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A309, 337–359 (1983).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  69. Tai, C. K. & Wunsch, C. Nature 301, 408–410 (1983).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  70. Guymer, T. H. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A309, 399–414 (1983).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  71. Harries, J. E., Llewllyn-Jones, D. T., Minnett, P. J., Saunders, R. W. & Zavody, A. M. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A309, 381–395 (1983).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  72. Crocker, T. R. Deep-Sea Res. 30, 449–467 (1983).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  73. Leach, H., Minnett, P. & Woods, J. D. Deep-Sea Res. (in the press).

  74. Baker, D. J. in Evolution of Physical Oceanography (eds Warren, B. & Wunsch, C.) 396–433 (MIT Press, Cambridge, 1981).

    Google Scholar 

  75. Manabe, S., Bryan, K. & Spelman, M. J. Dyn. Atmos. Ocean 3, 393–426 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  76. Wilson, A. T. Nature 201, 147–149 (1964).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  77. Kellogg, W. in Climate Variations and Variability: Facts and Theories (ed. Berger, A.) 601–621 (Reidel, Dordrecht, 1981).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  78. Wunsch, C. in Proc. Workshop on Global Observation and Understanding of the General Circulation of the Oceans (U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Washington D.C., 1983).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Meereskunde an der Univerität Kiel, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, D 2300, Kiel, 1, FRG

    J. D. Woods

Authors
  1. J. D. Woods
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Woods, J. The World Ocean Circulation Experiment. Nature 314, 501–511 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1038/314501a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/314501a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing