Mercator, the French operational oceanography project, is set to issue its first ocean bulletin for the North Atlantic on January 17. Starting on this date, weekly Mercator bulletins will forecast ocean conditions one week and two weeks ahead.
These forecasts will provide data on currents, temperature, and salinity from the surface to the bottom of the ocean. They will be used by shipping, offshore platforms and other seafaring sectors, and by oceanographers during sea cruises. Mercator's ability to collect ocean parameters in real time will also be of great value for predicting climate.

Altimetry data are a key element of ocean forecasting, just as pressure measurements are essential for weather forecasts. Scientists rely on these data to initialize and validate their models, and thus to ensure that they reproduce a true picture of reality.

See also:

• Applications: Predicting currents, forecasting the ocean
• Applications: Soprane tracks the ocean in four dimensions

Websites on this subject:

• Mercator Project
• Other operational oceanography programs
   -  Soprane
   -  Soap