On this day in history,...

... in1979, the Surface Velocity Program (SVP), later known as the Global Drifter Program (GDP), was launched as part of the TOGA/Equatorial Pacific Ocean Circulation Study (EPOCS). This initiative marked the beginning of a long-term global effort to monitor surface ocean currents using satellite-tracked drifting buoys.

The program has since evolved into the largest global network of Lagrangian drifters, providing crucial data for oceanographic research, climate studies, and operational forecasting. The GDP has significantly improved our understanding of ocean surface circulation, air-sea interactions, and heat transport across the world's oceans.

The program is currently managed by NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) and remains a cornerstone of international ocean observation efforts.

Sources

• Lumpkin, R., & Pazos, M. (2007). "Measuring surface currents with Surface Velocity Program drifters: The Global Drifter Program." NOAA/AOML. Link
• NOAA Global Drifter Program: https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/phod/gdp/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Drifter_Program

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