SATCORE programme aims long-term measurements of bio-optical properties in the Indian coastal waters at 9 locations covering both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. While continuing the research and data collection programme on ocean colour, during the XII plan it is also planned to expand the scope of SATCORE to satellite derived sea level measurements and their usage. The satellite altimeter that measures the sea level slopes and hence the geostophic currents in the sea are proved to be useful to study the ocean currents. Together with the Argo data and models it is possible to generate the maps of absolute ocean currents in the coastal as well as open ocean regions with a reliable degree of accuracy. Such a product of ocean currents with sufficient accuracy has potential applications in optimal ship routing, tracking the oil spills, estimation of oceanic heat transport that affects the climate change due to its influence on ocean and atmospheric circulation, etc.

The INDOMOD programme was designed to encourage the researchers in the universities and other academic institutions in the country to take up the research projects for the development of ocean models were extremely successful in developing the much needed capacity in the development and handling of ocean models. Some of them succeed in process studies and identifying the dynamics of the phenomenon observed in the Indian Ocean.

a) Objectives:

1. Continue the bio-optical measurements at existing time-series stations and set up new stations in the Indian coastal waters.
2. Validation and development of new algorithms for the retrieval of geophysical parameters from ocean colour sensor on board satellites Oceansat, MODIS, validation of altimeter derived sea levels in the coastal waters using bottom pressure records and tide gauges
3. Analyze the effect of atmospheric turbidity and aerosol size distribution on radiative transfer to improve the atmospheric corrections of satellite data.
4. Modeling of primary productivity using in situ and satellite data.
5. Development of operational ocean current products for their assimilation in high resolution coastal ocean models and development of algorithms to obtain the river discharges using altimeter, especially SARAL/Altika data.
6. Generation of near real time fields of Cyclone Heat Potential for the North Indian Ocean using altimeter, Argo and Hycom model.
7. (vii) To support the research groups/researchers in constructing/developing ocean models for the operational forecast of ocean parameters in improving the understanding of dynamics and thermodynamics of Indian Ocean, and understand and model the tsunamigenic earthquakes and tsunami propagation models.

b) Participating Institutions:

Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, Hyderabad.

c) Implementation Plan:

Programme will be implemented by INCOIS and in partnership with universities and other institutes. Other institutes and universities will be engaged in the routine measurements.

d) Deliverables:

New algorithms for the accurate/improved retrievals of ocean parameters using satellite data

Ocean models to understand and predict the process in the Indian Ocean

Enhancement of our knowledge on the working of Indian Ocean and understanding the role of ocean in sustaining the monsoonal activity over

e) Budget requirement : 75 crores

(Rs. In crores)