Oceans from space, a once-a-decade review of progress: Satellite oceanography in a changing world

Abstract

This chapter introduces the Oceans from Space conferences held in Venice in 1980, 1990, 2000 and again now, in 2010. These events provide a once-a-decade review of progress in satellite oceanography. As satellite oceanographers, we have a unique view of some of the long-term environmental changes now apparent in the world. The present review introduces some of the significant long-term time series, which illustrate these changes, i.e. in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, in land and ocean productivity, in sea surface warming, in sea-ice and ice-cap melting and in sea level rise. Meeting in Venice, we are also seeing the long-term direct reactions of a city increasingly threatened by rising sea levels. We look ahead to a possible next conference in 2020, when long-term trends may be clearer, and when worldwide action to reduce carbon emissions may have significantly intensified. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.