 IOC |
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WOCE produced an Upper Ocean Thermal data CD-Rom (current version is version 2) which contains all SOOP observations collected until 1999 plus other types of upper ocean thermal data (e.g. TAO). A version 3 of this CD-Rom will soon be published. All data on the CD will be corrected for XBTs for which old fall rate equation coefficients were used. 1999 and 2000 SOOP data will be included in the CD-Rom although not all of these data sets could be quality controlled by science centres in time (this will be documented in the CD). Data on the CD-Rom will be provided in NetCDF format.
Real-time data are sent from MEDS to US/NODC and other clients three times each week. Real-time data provided by MEDS to clients are either for the whole world or a a specific area. Both MEDS and US/NODC have clients that receive regular dispatches of data. Once a year, all data collected two years previously are divided into three oceans and forwarded for scientific QC in the US (AOML and Scripps) and Australia, (CSIRO/BoM/Joint Australian Facility for Ocean Observing Systems (JAFOOS)). The results are returned to US/NODC and updated into the archives. These centres also contribute to the WOCE DAC activities.
GTSPP has developed a number of users of the data. MEDS has about 6 users that receive data three times a week. The US/NODC has more than a dozen users receiving data either weekly or monthly.
The data volumes in the continuously managed database are about 1 million stations from 1990 to 1999. A significant fraction of data is still received as real-time reports. Increasing the timeliness of flow of delayed mode data to the archives is still an important function that needs attention, including by SOOPIP.
SOOP is a significant contributor of data in both real-time and delayed mode. In support of SOOPIP, GTSPP makes available monitoring reports such as data sampling information on a monthly basis. The data quality statistics are posted here each month. Also shown are maps of the sampling both in the past month and over the past twelve months.
GTSPP provides real-time data exchange of quality controlled data via MEDS , Canada. SOOP data are also distributed in real-time onto the Global Telecommunication System (GTS) of WMO for insertion into coupled ocean-atmosphere numerical models although the level of QC of GTS data is limited (mainly simple automatic quality control checks). Temperature and salinity profile data that are transmitted in near real-time are sent as BATHY and TESAC reports respectively. These BATHY and TESAC messages are sent by radio or satellite to Shore Stations which places the data reports onto the Global Telecommunications System (GTS). GTS bulletin headers (see below) permit to identify these sources. Only lower resolution data (limited vertical resolution, 0.1C temperature resolution for BATHY, and 0.01C for TESAC) are distributed on GTS for the time being. It is planned to distribute higher resolution data in real-time via GTSPP (better QC, NetCDF format).
The "Guide to operational procedures
for the collection and exchange of JCOMM oceanographic
data" (WMO-IOC manual and
guides No. 3, UNESCO 1999) is a general guide to the
operational procedures for the collection, encoding,
quality control and exchange of oceanic surface and
sub-surface temperature, salinity and current (BATHY,
TESAC and TRACKOB) data. The guide defines notions of
operational data, non-operational data, timeliness,
oceanographic product, operational product, observational
reports, and GTS bulletins. It provides general
information on instrumentation being used as well as
relevant observing platforms such as ships and buoys.
Space/time sampling frequencies are also detailed.
Finally, the guide provides practical information
regarding data encoding and routing for real time
distribution as well as specific recommendations before
transmission and upon reception of the data to ensure a
good level of quality for distributed data and products.
Among recommended operational error checks are (i)
bulletin format check, (ii) GTS report format check, and
(iii) geo-physical values check. Information is provided
regarding the type of quality control provided with the
data acquisition systems onboard the ships.