Havsstationer

Havsstationer are observation facilities located at sea or along the coast that systematically measure meteorological and oceanographic conditions. They can be fixed offshore platforms, moored buoys, drifting buoys, floating laboratories, or other anchored installations. In addition, research vessels and autonomous instruments such as gliders and Argo floats function as mobile or sub-surface sea stations during field campaigns.

The data collected typically include air temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction, precipitation; sea surface temperature, salinity, currents, wave height and period, and sea level. Some stations also measure subsurface properties, ocean color, carbon flux, and marine life indicators. Observations are used for weather forecasting, climate monitoring, maritime safety, navigation, fisheries management, and scientific research.

Organizations and networks: national meteorological and hydrological services operate havsstationer; data feed into global networks such as GOOS and JCOMM; data are often shared publicly; they complement satellite observations. The information from havsstationer is integrated with satellite and model data to provide meteorological and oceanographic products for users worldwide.

History and significance: havsstationer reflect a long tradition of coastal and open-sea observations. The system expanded significantly in the 20th century with advances in instrumentation and communication, and today sea stations are essential components of global observing systems for forecasting, climate science, and marine operations.