IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - September 2013 - 49

technologies and estimation methodologies is more accurate
than the estimation provided by the numerical simulation of
the full environmental dynamics. This observational characterization is made possible by the present glider technology,
which provides a way for persistent in situ monitoring of
restricted areas. Remote sensing complements the sparse
glider sampling in the surfacemost layer. For environmental
fields that are characterized by relatively long synoptic time
scales such as the temperature field, the nowcast obtained
from observations is also expected to provide a good prediction of near-future conditions (this is known as a persistence
model). Yet numerical modeling remains the only available
tool to characterize marine environments for longer forecast
ranges. Note that although the described data-driven
approach was developed for military applications, it can be
applied without modification in civilian oceanography to
characterize marine areas to which access may be restricted
due to hazardous conditions (e.g., severe storms, oil spills,
radioactive polluted areas).
Acknowledgments
The COSMO-ME atmospheric model data have been
kindly provided by CNMCA, Rome, Italy. The MFS ocean
model data have been kindly provided by INGV, Bologna,
Italy. The SST Analysis map is courtesy of CNR-ISAC,
Rome. This work was funded by the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization.
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Alberto Alvarez, NATO Centre for Maritime Research and
Experimentation (CMRE, formerly NURC), La Spezia, Italy.
E-mail: alvarez@cmre.nato.int.
Jacopo Chiggiato, Istituto di Scienze Marine (CNR-ISMAR),
Venezia, Italy. E-mail: jacopo.chiggiato@ismar.cnr.it.
Baptiste Mourre, NATO Centre for Maritime Research and
Experimentation (CMRE, formerly NURC), La Spezia, Italy.
E-mail: mourre@cmre.nato.int.

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