Providing the world with forecasts of ocean conditions over a 15-day period, similar to atmospheric forecasts: this is the ambition of the Mercator project.
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| Mercator Forecast Model |
The Mercator project was established 10 years ago by a team of oceanographers from different backgrounds, united by the goal of creating a permanent observatory capable of daily mapping of the oceans.
Six agencies have participated in this project: CNES, which provided the Jason and Envisat observation satellites; CNRS; IRD; Ifremer, which donated the Argos buoy system; Météo France; and SHOM.
All remote sensing data and coastal observation centers enrich ocean sampling with three-dimensional imagery computed weekly by the powerful computers of Météo France.
On January 17, 2001, this system allowed for the first-ever announcement of a 15-day ocean condition forecast, supplying a group of oceanographers from Ifremer conducting a mission in the North Atlantic.
Following this success, Mercator Ocean was established in 2002 to provide weekly ocean condition forecasts with three-dimensional imagery over a 15-day period. The ocean bulletin was launched, producing over 700 maps each week.
In 2003, Mercator’s observations extended from the North Atlantic to the Mediterranean with increasing accuracy. It became possible to track the development of seawater in the Mediterranean within the Atlantic basin or to observe the subsurface currents flowing towards the African coastline at a depth of 100 meters in the equatorial region. Today, Mercator aims to extend its system to other oceans around the globe, initially to a range of 25 kilometers. By 2008, this range is projected to shrink to 5 kilometers.
