Reporting on XBT deployments within JCOMMOPS

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Reporting on XBT deployments within JCOMMOPS

• Hester Viola.
• Technical Coordinator of the Ship Observations
  Team.
• viola_at_jcommops.org

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Outline

• Introduction to JCOMMOPS
• JCOMMOPS Monthly maps on XBT drops (on the GTS)
• SOOP Annual report and maps
• Metadata collected about XBT deployments
• Format used by operators to report metadata to
  JCOMMOPS
• Assessment of sampling success for recent years
• Conclusions and points to consider

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JCOMMOPS

• Operational Platform Support Centre for the
  Observations Programme Area of the Joint WMO-IOC
  Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine
  Meteorology - JCOMM
• JCOMMOPS provides coordination at the
  international level for oceanographic and marine
  observations from drifting buoys, moored buoys,
  ships of opportunity and sub-surface profiling
  floats.
• Argo sub surface floats. (Technical coordinator
  Mathieu Belbeoch)
• Data Buoy Cooperation Panel. (Technical
  coordinator Hester Viola)
• Ship Observations Team - SOOP and VOS (Technical
  coordinator Hester Viola)

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Aims of JCOMMOPS

• More specifically JCOMMOPS is a component of the
  international coordination mechanism, which aims
  on behalf of JCOMM to
• Act as a clearing house and focal point on all
  aspectsof observing platform implementation and
  operation.
• assist in the planning, implementation and
  operations of the observing systems
• monitor and evaluate the performance of the
  observing networks
• encourage cooperation between communities and
  member states
• encourage data sharing
• assist in data distribution on Internet and GTS
• relay users feedback on data quality to platforms
  operators
• provide technical assistance and user support
• develop synergies between observing systems.
• More general information on http//www.jcommops.or
  g

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Monthly GTS status maps

• JCOMMOPS provides an international status for
  all of its observing platforms, each month in a
  map.
• Many groups also prepare monthly reports on XBT
  drops e.g. AOML USA, OSMC USA, MEDS Canada,
  Coriolis France.

• http//www.jcommops.org/FTPRoot/SOT/SOOP/Maps/2008
  / (maps in high resolution)

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Interactive monthly GTS status map

• http//w4.jcommops.org/WebSite/SOOPM (monthly
  dynamic map for GTS data)

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SOOP Annual Report

• JCOMMOPS stores SOOP metadata and reports
  annually on the sampling success for each line.
• The metadata database can be browsed on the
  JCOMMOPS website, providing in-depth analyses,
  on-demand, to those who require it via
  http//wo.jcommops.org/cgi-bin/WebObjects/SOOPInd
  icators
• From this database a document is produced
  annually which includes information about the
  success and summaries for all lines, plus other
  analysis products produced internationally.
• For more information seehttp//www.jcommops.org/
  soop/soop_report.html

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SOOP Annual Report Map

• Maps are included in the annual report document
  and available online.
• Interactive Map contains
• Annual Sampling success
• Data disseminated on the GTS
• Drops by operator

To view the interactive map, see
http//w4.jcommops.org/WebSite/SOOP
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Metadata files and SOOP database

• Mandatory metadata collected from operators as
  comma delimited text files (since 2000) and
  available now (up until end of 2007 for most
  operators) at JCOMMOPS
• Line number (e.g. AX01 or IX10)
• Cruise ID (operator builds this ID, should be
  unique for any SOOP cruise, e.g. CSIRO1999S6FK01)
• Transect number (integer, assigned by the
  operator, incremented for each new transect
  between ports).
• Date (YYYYMMDD), Time (HHMM)
• Ship's call sign
• Latitude (decimal degrees, Ngt0, Slt0), Longitude
  (decimal degrees, Egt0, Wlt0)
• Operator (e.g. SIO, BSH, SEAS, IRD_BREST,
  IRD_NOUMEA, JMA, BOM etc)
• Name of real time telecommunications system (e.g.
  Argos, Inmarsat..)
• Instrument type (WMO Common Code Table C 3, see
  Annex C)
• Recorder type (WMO Common Code Table C 4, see
  Annex C)
• Fall rate equation coefficients, coefficient a,
  Fall rate equation coefficients, coefficient b
• Software version description

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Metadata files and SOOP database

• Optional metadata fields collected (since 2000)
  and available now (up until end of 2007 for most
  operators)
• Drop number (as counted by the operator)
• Unique tag
• Probe batch date (date of manufacture, YYYYMMDD)
• Argos number (if any)
• Quality of profile (GOOD/BAD/DUBIOUS)
• Ship name (delimited with quotes "")
• End points (within quotes, syntax "start point -
  end point)
• Programme name (National programme in which this
  drop belongs)
• Total depth of profile (m)
• Comment (string, free format delimited with
  quotes "")
• Instructions on the format to use are
  onhttp//www.jcommops.org/doc/metadata/submissio
  n_format.html (This includes information about
  the metadata that were collected prior to 2000)

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Metadata reported annually by operators.

• XBT Drops 2003-2007

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2005 and 2006 sampling success

• 2006 had the least drops for 5 years.
• For a total of 45 FRX and HDX UOT lines (some of
  them operated in both modes) we had the following
  summarised results for the two years

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Conclusion

• Things to consider during this workshop
• Metadata storage and provision is the metadata
  useful and who uses it?
• Simplification and automation
• Data exchange formats (self describing) to
  include more metadata e.g. BUFR for operational
  flows
• New metadata fields e.g. unique transect number,
  probe serial number
• Future how can JCOMMOPS assist SOOP operators
  best?