Development of a SOOPIP data base

Format for submitting monitoring data and metadata to the SOOP Coordinator

Under the new scheme, SOOP operators will provide the Coordinator on an annual basis with sub-sets of profile data plus certain metadata so that monitoring products can be produced and available via the web.

Also, based upon such input from the operators, metadata will be extracted, compiled and submitted annually to GTSPP by the Coordinator.

The data is used for the reporting and analysis exercise only, though it is kept in the JCOMMOPS Database, and not disseminated unless requested/agreed by data owners and SOOPIP members. Only some of the metadata, statistical data (i.e. the annual report) or indications of what data are stored in the database (e.g. date,time,lat,lon of a profile but not the actual profile data) would be available to the public via the SOOP web site.
As the aim is to provide Metadata, the actual profile data are not required. Required data are indicated below. Some data fields are optional.

Operators should provide the data and metadata in the new format (see Annex A) within three months after then end of each considered period, but preferably as soon as possible e.g. monthly, quarterly or twice a year.

Annex A: Format for submitting data and metadata to the SOOP Coordinator

ASCII file. One record per drop. Fields separated by commas (",").

All mandatory fields are placed in the beginning. Optional fields follow and can be left empty (e.g. ,,) by the operator if the information cannot be provided.

Mandatory fields

Remark: Key fields are indicated in bold. There should not be two records with the same values for key fields.

1. Line number (e.g. AX01)

2. Cruise ID (operator builds it, should be unique for any SOOP cruise, e.g. CSIRO1999S6FK01)

3. Transect number (integer, assigned by the operator, incremented for each new transect (i.e. all drop have the same transect number while the ship is moving from one end point of the line to the other end point; as soon as the ship arrived to port and goes back to start a new transect then transect number should be incremented), initial value and subsequent values for transect number do not matter provided that each new transect by a ship on a line has a transect number higher than previous transect numbers for the same line and the same ship. In case a single cruise follows more than one SOOP line in a row, then transect number should be incremented each time the cruise changes line).

4. Date (YYYYMMDD)

5. Time (HHMM)

6. Ship's call sign

7. Latitude (in decimal degrees, N>0, S<0)

8. Longitude (in decimal degrees, E>0, W<0)

9. Operator (e.g. NIO, UKHO, SIO, BSH, SEAS, IRD_BREST, IRD_NOUMEA, JMA, BOM, CSIRO, JAFOOS, MFSPP...)

10. Name of real time telecommunication system (e.g. Argos, Inmarsat..)

11. Instrument type (Common Code Table C 3, see Annex C)

12. Recorder type (Common Code Table C 4, see Annex C)

13. Fall rate equation coefficients, coefficient a

14. Fall rate equation coefficients, coefficient b

15. Software version (we will standardise later)

Optional fields

16. Drop number (as counted by the operator)

17. Unique tag (e.g. as proposed by SEAS, i.e. concatenation of the Lloyds number of the hull, a 4 character year, and a counter of the number of minutes since the start of the year (excluding the Lloyds number this is a 10 digit number)

18. Probe batch date (date of manufacture, YYYYMMDD)

19. Argos number (if any)

20. Quality of profile (GOOD/BAD/DUBIOUS, e.g. GOOD: no problems observed; BAD: many spikes, noisy profile (profile needs much improvements by data processing routines or editing); DUBIOUS: questionable trace (e.g. doubtful temperature inversions, offset)

21. Ship name (delimited with quotes "")

22. End points (within quotes, syntax: "start point/alternative - in between point (optional) - end point/alternative". Fill out this field only in case the end points differ from the formal end points as deduced from the line number).

23. Programme name (National programme in which this drop belongs)

24. Total depth of profile (meters)

25. Comment (string, free format delimited with quotes "")

Example

�

AX03,IRDN_LOND002,1,19990702,000600,ELVX4,46.500,-11.020,IRD_NOUMEA,ARGOS,052,22, 6.691,-2.25,X.B.T_Ver_2.7,27,39953331999263526,19970302,04725,GOOD,"CS_LONDON",,ECOP_IRDN,,

AX03,IRDN_LOND002,1,19990702,060300,ELVX4,45.520,-13.620,IRD_NOUMEA,ARGOS,052,22, 6.691,-2.25,X.B.T_Ver_2.7,28,39953331999263883,19970302, 04725,GOOD,"CS_LONDON",,ECOP_IRDN,811.400,

AX03,IRDN_LOND002,1,19990702,115400,ELVX4,44.900,-16.230,IRD_NOUMEA,ARGOS,052,22, 6.691,-2.25,X.B.T_Ver_2.7,29,39953331999264234,19970302, 04725,GOOD,"CS_LONDON",,ECOP_IRDN,734.600,

AX03,IRDN_LOND002,1,19990702,180400,ELVX4,44.670,-19.230,IRD_NOUMEA,ARGOS,052,22, 6.691,-2.25,X.B.T_Ver_2.7,30,39953331999264604,19970302, 04725,GOOD,"CS_LONDON",,ECOP_IRDN,,

AX03,IRDN_LOND002,1,19990702,235000,ELVX4,44.450,-21.930,IRD_NOUMEA,ARGOS,052,22,6.691,-2.25,X.B.T_Ver_2.7,31,39953331999264950,19970302, 04725,GOOD,"CS_LONDON",,ECOP_IRDN,766.400,

�

If not all information is available for optional fields it could look like this:

�

AX03,IRDN_LOND002,1,19990702,000600,ELVX4,46.500,-11.020,IRD_NOUMEA,ARGOS,052,22, 6.691,-2.25,X.B.T_Ver_2.7,,,,,GOOD,"CS_LONDON",,ECOP_IRDN,,

�

Annex B: Old (pre 2000) format for submitting resources metadata to the SOT Coordinator

Data have to be submitted in this format only if data and metadata cannot be submitted in the new format (Annex A) within 3 months after the considered period. However, data and metadata should still be submitted in the new format (Annex A) to the Coordinator as soon as possible within 3 to 6 months after the considered period.

Format

ASCII file. One record per Line per ship per SOOP operator. Fields separated by commas (",").

1. Line number

2. Endpoints

3. Ship name

4. Call sign

5. SOOP operator� (e.g. NIO, UKHO, SIO, BSH, SEAS, IRD_BREST, IRD_NOUMEA, JMA, BOM, CSIRO, JAFOOS, MFSPP...)

6. Drops

7. Good drops

8. Transmitted on GTS

9. Number of transects (fractional)

Example

"IX01","Fremantle-Sunda Strait","Swan Reefer","S6FK","CSIRO",232,219,223,11

"PX34","Sydney-Wellington","Wellington Express","MWSD3",227,216,25,4

"PX30","Brisbane-Noumea-Fiji","Fua Kavenga","A3CA",226,210,32,2

"PX30","Brisbane-Noumea-Fiji","RV Franklin","VJJF",152,143,0,1

"PX30","Brisbane-Noumea-Fiji","Southern Moana","A3CG3",38,37,0,0.5

"PX30","Brisbane-Noumea-Fiji","Forum Tonga","VROB",72,66,0,0.5

Annex C: Probe types and recorder types

Refer to the WMO Manual on Codes, International Codes, Volume I.2, Part-C - Common features to Binary and Alphanumeric Codes, WMO-No. 306 for up to date values.