Identifying the gaps in ocean observing capabilities within the NOAA observing system architecture portfolio

The Office of Technology, Planning, and Integration for Observation (TPIO) maintains gap analysis tools that are used to compare both observing system attributes and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) User Observation Requirements to help answer NOAA-wide business questions regarding observational needs and investment. Using the information connected to NOAA products, a capabilities gap analysis was performed to determine which products and observing requirements could benefit from increased system capabilities. Through analysis a requirements for global ocean temperature profiles, global salinity profiles, and ocean current profiles were found to be an important requirements that could benefit from the inclusion of different technologies than currently used to capture the requirements. We were able to support the information found in the product gap analysis by creating a geospatial visualization using geographical information from buoy systems obtained from the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC), the defined geographic coverage and horizontal resolution associated with the user observation requirements, and information on standard error of the mean gathered from the World Ocean Atlas (WOA). This type of analysis provides a visual and empirical assessment of any gaps between the capabilities of system's maintained by NDBC and user observation requirements for ocean temperature profile measurements across the global ocean. With the gaps identified it allows technology developers or industry to understand what improvements are needed in the observing capabilities.